FG Threatens Shutdown Of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Over Fatal Accidents, Criminal Activities

The federal government has threatened to shut down the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users fail to comply with safety regulations and ongoing construction restrictions.

The federal controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, who issued the warning on Monday, said the minister of Works Engr. David Umahi directed him to convene a media briefing to address Journalist on the decision following persistent loss of lives, reckless driving, illegal activities, vandalism and other security breaches along the highway.

Dare said the minister of Works had directed the Federal Ministry of Works to return to the road in two weeks to assess the situation, warning that failure to record significant improvement would result in the closure of the highways

According to him, construction is still ongoing on the road, which contains 20 major bridges within its 103-kilometre stretch in Lagos State.

He explained that Section One of the road runs from the end of Ahodubule to Eleko Junction and covers about 47 kilometres, while Section Two stretches from Eleko Junction to Odo-Ome at the Lagos-Ogun State boundary and covers about 56 kilometres.

Dare, who spoke at a media briefing on the highway, said motorists had continued to disregard the 30km per hour speed limit despite repeated warnings and clearly displayed signs along the route.

He said some motorists drive at speeds of up to 120km per hour on portions of the road where bridge construction and other major works are still ongoing.

“Lives are being lost on the coastal road almost every other day. We are here and we can see it. Lives are being lost every other day. And with all of this, it must stop,” he said.

The Federal Controller declared that over speeding on the highway was henceforth banned, warning motorists to comply with the 30km per hour limit or risk enforcement action.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government had intensified collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command to tackle the growing security and traffic problems on the road.

According to him, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police had held two meetings with relevant authorities over the weekend and directed increased police deployment along the highway.

Dare warned truck and trailer operators against parking their vehicles on the highway, saying any articulated vehicle found parked along the road would be towed away.

He also announced a ban on illegal U-turns, commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, and tricycles, including Keke Marwa, on the highway.

“It’s completely banned. No Keke Marwa is completely banned. All manner of tricycles, they are banned on the coastal highway,” he said.

Dare disclosed that police arrested at least 100 commercial motorcyclists operating on the coastal highway within the previous week, adding that enforcement would be intensified.

Beyond traffic violations, he raised concerns over illegal occupation, hawking, animal grazing and sleeping on the road’s median.

He said more than 10 illegal settlements had been identified along the highway, while shanties and other unauthorized structures would be removed.

“Shanties, we are coming for you,” he warned, adding that illegal occupants would be removed from the highway corridor.

He also banned animal grazing on the road, warning that anyone caught with livestock along the highway would face prosecution.

Dare further disclosed that hawking on the highway would no longer be tolerated, particularly around kilometre 18, where traders had allegedly turned portions of the road into makeshift markets.

He said people found sleeping on the highway median or engaging in other activities that endangered their lives would also be removed.

A major concern raised by the Federal Controller was the systematic vandalisation of road infrastructure.

According to him, vandals had removed approximately five kilometres of clear-view fencing installed along the road and stolen manhole covers covering about 18 kilometres of the highway.

He said the vandals often operated at night, cutting and removing metal components of the infrastructure despite police patrols.

“Vandalisation. They come in the night. They remove the clear-view fence that was used to barricade the community from the coastal highway. They removed them. They cut it. And they packed it away,” Dare said.

He said directional signs were also being removed because of their metal components, while vandals had broken concrete structures to extract reinforcement materials from manhole covers.

The federal government is also reorganising the Coastal Guard to strengthen surveillance along the highway.

Dare said the initiative would be placed under the direct supervision of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, with members drawn from communities along the highway.

He explained that the proposed community-based arrangement would enable residents to participate in protecting infrastructure and reporting criminal activities within their respective areas.

However, Dare acknowledged that the security situation had made the protection of some infrastructure particularly difficult.

Responding to a question on repeated vandalism of the clear-view fences, he said some of the personnel engaged to protect the infrastructure had been attacked.

He disclosed that at least two Coastal Guard personnel had been stabbed, adding that photographs were available to document the attacks.

Dare said the authorities were considering alternative measures, including replacing some of the vulnerable clear-view fencing with more difficult-to-remove structures.

He urged motorists, transport operators, traders, residents and other users of the highway to take the warnings seriously.

“This is a heads-up for all these hoodlums,” he said, stressing that the authorities would no longer allow the situation to continue unchecked

Dare said the combination of reckless driving, illegal parking, unauthorised commercial activities, vandalism and other abuses of the highway was putting lives at risk and undermining the huge public investment in the project.

He therefore warned that if there was no substantial improvement within two weeks, the Federal Government would have no option but to shut down the Lagos section of the highway.

“It’s not going to be business as usual,” he declared.