Insecurity: Umahi Seeks Creation Of Highway Patrol Unit

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has called for the establishment of a dedicated highway patrol unit within the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen security on federal roads across the country.

He made the appeal on Monday when he received the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on a visit to his office in Abuja.

Both leaders pledged closer collaboration to tackle insecurity along major highways and protect critical road infrastructure projects nationwide.

Umahi commended the police and other security agencies for providing protection to contractors and workers handling federal road projects, particularly in high-risk areas.

He said such support had been crucial to the continued execution of major projects, including the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, despite persistent security challenges in some regions.

He added that without the support of security agencies, many of the ongoing infrastructure projects under the administration would have been difficult to execute.

Umahi congratulated the IGP on his appointment, praising his leadership and the police force’s role in crime detection and national security operations.

The minister proposed a comprehensive highway security framework that would include CCTV surveillance, solar-powered lighting, patrol vehicles, observation posts, drones, and rapid response teams along key transport corridors.

According to him, the initiative would begin with major highways across the six geopolitical zones, including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road, Enugu–Onitsha corridor, and Eleme–Onne Road.

He revealed that CCTV infrastructure had already been installed on sections of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, with police personnel operating from dedicated monitoring centres to improve response times.

Umahi also proposed integrating security infrastructure into concession agreements for major highways, including rest areas, police checkpoints, and truck parks.

He further suggested expanding highway patrol operations into a more robust, toll-supported structure, and advocated regulated private security