By Jelili Gbadamosi
The Lagos State Government has arrested 27 suspected hoodlums for allegedly vandalising the newly constructed Festac Town-Alakija Bridge and removing critical materials from the structure.
The suspects were apprehended during a late-night enforcement operation by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), in collaboration with the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) task force.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the arrests in a statement on Friday, describing the alleged vandalism as a serious threat to public safety and government investment in infrastructure.
Wahab said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly removed iron rods, steel reinforcements, cables and other materials essential to the structural integrity of the bridge.
He warned that the removal of the materials could compromise the safety of motorists and other users of the bridge.
The commissioner said the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the extant laws of Lagos State.
Wahab also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting public infrastructure, adding that enforcement operations against vandals and other offenders would be sustained.
