The Federal Government has launched the Coastal Highway Guards, a special team tasked with protecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from vandalism, illegal occupation and other unauthorised activities.
The initiative was unveiled on Sunday by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, with an initial deployment of 40 officers.
Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Lagos State Governor, disclosed the development in a statement shared on his X account.
According to Gawat, the guards will maintain a constant presence along the highway, monitor and report suspicious activities, prevent vandalism and restrict hawking, loitering, motorcycles and tricycles from operating on the road.
The team will be led by retired General Adekunle Shodunke and will collaborate with relevant security agencies in Lagos State.
Umahi stressed that the initiative was not an empowerment scheme but a full-time employment programme established to protect government infrastructure.
He said, “The Hon. Minister says this is not an empowerment programme. It is a full-time job to protect national assets of the government and in line with the Renewed Hope of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The minister had earlier expressed concern over the activities of people allegedly vandalising and illegally occupying sections of the coastal highway.
He said construction materials had been removed, fences broken and reinforcement rods taken away, describing the activities as unacceptable.
“We have had very terrible, unpatriotic elements removing the blocks, breaking the fence, removing the rods and treading on the highway. This must stop,” Umahi said.
He directed the Works Controller in Lagos to ensure that motorcycles, tricycles, hawkers and other unauthorised activities were removed from the highway.
Umahi also expressed concern over people using the highway as a place to sleep and loiter, saying such activities must not be allowed on a major national infrastructure project.
He further urged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to strengthen the protection of strategic national assets across the country.
The minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Works had opened its ongoing projects to scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.
