Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has confirmed that vandals excavated and stole fittings used to secure a bridge pole at Vin-Niger, near the Alakija axis of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed this after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the vandalised bridge pole, according to a statement issued by the Lagos State Government on its official X account.
The governor, however, assured residents that the structural integrity of the bridge had not been compromised and that both the bridge and work already carried out on it remained safe.
He said the state government would pursue those responsible for the vandalism, including individuals involved in buying and selling stolen public infrastructure materials.
“The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday, carried out an on-the-spot assessment of a vandalised bridge pole at Vin-Niger, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area,” the statement said.
It added that the governor “assured Lagos residents that the structural integrity of the bridge had not been compromised, emphasising that the bridge and the work carried out on it remained safe.”
The state government said some fittings used to secure the bridge had been excavated and removed by vandals.
Sanwo-Olu said the government would not relent in bringing those responsible to justice, regardless of their status or background.
“Lagos will not tolerate any act of vandalism because it is barbaric and criminal,” the governor said.
He added that officials from the Office of Infrastructure had inspected the bridge and confirmed that its structural integrity remained intact.
“I have been informed by officials of the Office of Infrastructure who visited the bridge that the structural integrity of the bridge is intact and remedial work will be executed immediately to protect the columns,” he said.
The governor also expressed concern over the continued vandalism of public infrastructure in Festac Town, including the destruction of drainage slabs and theft of iron rods along Second and Seventh Avenues.
He had earlier directed security agencies to go after those responsible for vandalising the Festac-Alakija Bridge.
Sanwo-Olu urged residents to assist the government by reporting suspicious activities around public infrastructure to the relevant authorities.
He also commended the Lagos State Police Command, Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch and members of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) for their intervention and response to the incident.
The governor said the inspection formed part of his administration’s wider efforts to clean up the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor and protect public infrastructure across the state.
The incident comes amid broader concerns over the vandalism of road and other public infrastructure across Nigeria.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has also condemned the vandalism of road infrastructure across the country, describing the destruction of public assets as “devilish”, “wicked” and unacceptable.
The Lagos State Government has continued to invest in road and bridge infrastructure as part of efforts to improve transportation and connectivity across the state.
In May 2025, the state government disclosed that it had completed 61 roads spanning 56.52 kilometres and five bridges across Lagos within one year.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Infrastructure, Olufemi Daramola, said the projects were delivered to improve mobility and ease traffic congestion.
Daramola also disclosed that the government was fast-tracking work on 147 other ongoing road and bridge construction projects across the state, with some already completed and awaiting commissioning.
The state government said the ongoing projects form part of its broader efforts to improve transportation, connectivity and infrastructure across Lagos.
