The Lagos State Government has arrested 27 persons for allegedly vandalising a newly constructed bridge linking Festac Town and Alakija, saying the suspects removed key structural components of the facility.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the arrests in a post on X on Friday after a midnight enforcement operation carried out beneath the bridge.
Mr Wahab stated that investigations showed that the suspects allegedly removed iron rods, steel reinforcements, cables and other materials critical to the bridge’s structural integrity.
He described the incident as a serious threat to public safety and government infrastructure.
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“Investigations revealed that suspected hoodlums had deliberately vandalised critical structural components of the bridge by removing iron rods, steel reinforcements, cables, and other supporting materials essential to the integrity of the infrastructure,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the suspects were arrested during a joint overnight operation involving operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) task force.
“The operation led to the arrest of 27 suspected hoodlums, who will be prosecuted in accordance with the extant laws of Lagos State,” he noted.
The latest arrests come months after the Lagos State Police Command arrested an 18-year-old suspect for allegedly vandalising reflective road studs installed on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Police said the road safety installations were removed from the bridge, warning that attacks on public infrastructure endanger motorists and impose additional costs on the government.
Mr Wahab explained that the state government would continue to crack down on vandalism and other offences that threaten public infrastructure.
“The Lagos State Government remains committed to protecting public infrastructure and will continue to take decisive action against individuals or groups engaged in acts of vandalism, environmental infractions and other criminal activities that threaten the safety and wellbeing of residents,” he said.
The commissioner did not disclose the identities of the suspects or indicate when they would be arraigned.