The Federal Government has inaugurated a new security outfit known as the Coastal Highway Guards to safeguard the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from vandalism, theft of construction materials, illegal occupation and other unauthorised activities along the corridor.
The initiative was officially launched on Sunday by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, with an initial deployment of 40 officers. The development was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Lagos State, Jubril Gawat, in a statement shared on his verified X account.
According to Gawat, the newly inaugurated guards will maintain a constant presence along the highway and work closely with existing security agencies to protect the multi-billion-naira federal infrastructure project.
He stated that the officers have been assigned specific responsibilities, including monitoring suspicious activities, preventing vandalism, restricting hawking, stopping the operation of motorcycles and tricycles on the highway, and discouraging loitering along the route.
“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, today launched the Coastal Highway Guards, starting with 40 officers,” Gawat wrote.
“These personnel will be in charge of maintaining presence on the highway, reporting suspicious activities, restricting hawking on the Coastal Highway, reporting and monitoring any form of vandalism, restricting keke and okada on the Coastal Highway, and restricting loitering on the Coastal Highway.”
Gawat added that the security outfit will be headed by retired General Adekunle Shodunke, who is expected to coordinate its operations in collaboration with relevant security agencies in Lagos State and other affected states.
He quoted the Minister as stressing that the programme was not designed as a temporary empowerment scheme but as a professional, full-time security assignment focused on protecting national assets.
“The Honourable Minister says this is not an empowerment programme; it is a full-time job to protect national assets of the government and is in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Gawat stated.
Speaking during the launch, Umahi expressed concern over what he described as increasing acts of vandalism and illegal activities along completed and ongoing sections of the highway.
He alleged that some individuals had been removing concrete blocks, dismantling protective fencing, stealing steel rods and trespassing on sections of the road under construction.
“We have had very terrible, unpatriotic elements removing the blocks, breaking the fence, removing the rods and treading on the highway. This must stop,” the minister said.
Umahi directed the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos to ensure strict enforcement of regulations prohibiting motorcycles, tricycles, hawkers and other unauthorised users from operating on the coastal highway.
“Their job is that no keke on the coastal highway, no motorcycle on the coastal highway, and no loitering. There is no superhighway anywhere in the country where you see people loitering,” he said.
He disclosed that during a recent inspection conducted with members of the National Assembly around 11 p.m., officials observed people sleeping on sections of the highway.
“Last night, we were there with National Assembly members by 11 p.m., and people were sleeping on the coastal highway. It must stop. No hawking, no illegal occupation along the entire coast,” Umahi added.
The minister also called on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to strengthen surveillance and protection of strategic federal infrastructure projects across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He further stated 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 in project execution.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the flagship infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration. The project is designed as a 750-kilometre, 10-lane superhighway that will connect Lagos State to Cross River State through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
The highway is expected to improve transportation, boost tourism, stimulate economic activities along the Atlantic coastline and enhance connectivity among the coastal states.
Construction is being handled by Hitech Construction Company Limited under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Government officials have repeatedly described the project as a strategic national investment intended to support trade, industrialisation, logistics and regional development.
The launch of the Coastal Highway Guards marks the latest step in the government’s effort to secure the project from vandalism and unauthorised activities as construction progresses.
Officials say additional personnel may be recruited and deployed in phases as more sections of the highway are completed and opened to traffic.
The Federal Government maintained that protecting the coastal highway is essential to preserving public investment and ensuring that the infrastructure delivers its intended economic and social benefits for generations of Nigerians.
