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Vandalism causing flooding on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway –Umahi
The Federal Government on Thursday raised concerns over a disturbing surge in vandalism of critical public infrastructure, particularly along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway corridor and major bridges in Lagos.
It warned that the trend threatened the durability of newly constructed roads and bridges nationwide.
The government also attributed recent flooding along the coastal highway to blocked drainage channels caused by improper waste disposal.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja, described the situation as “alarming and unsustainable,” saying the ministry was engaged in a “daily fight” to protect federal assets from deliberate sabotage.
According to him, the Lagos coastal highway had become a major hotspot for vandalism despite intensified security measures.
“This press briefing is to bring to the attention of the public the massive vandalism of our critical infrastructure all over the country. Within the coastal route that is being circulated, you can see massive break-ins. It is a daily fight,” he said.
Umahi said he personally visited Lagos two weeks ago to assess the destruction and commended the Lagos State Government and the police for deploying operatives along the highway.
“I thank the governor and the people of Lagos State, as well as the Commissioner of Police.
“There has been a massive deployment within the coastal route to check vandalism. But as we speak now, the things we have done to protect the coastal route are being destroyed by people,” he said.
The minister disclosed that protective installations, including green barbed wires and other security fittings along sections of the highway, had been repeatedly cut and stolen.
“They have cut wires that were put there to protect the beauty of the coastal roads. In several sections, these have been cut and taken away,” he said, adding that ongoing construction works were being disrupted by illegal access to restricted areas.
“The width of our road is 12 metres, and nine metres have been completed. There are connecting wire bars and protective coverings. Yet people go there, cross into the restricted areas and damage the work,” he explained.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, one of the Federal Government’s flagship road projects, is designed to run approximately 700 kilometres from Lagos through several coastal states to Calabar, Cross River State, boosting trade, tourism, and regional connectivity.
The first phase in Lagos has faced controversies ranging from right-of-way disputes to environmental concerns.
Umahi linked the recent flooding along the coastal highway to blocked drainage channels caused by indiscriminate waste disposal.
“The flooding of the coastal highway was because our underground drainage channels were blocked. People dump refuse inside the manholes and underground channels. When those channels are blocked, water has nowhere to go. That is the basic reason for flooding seen on the coastal road, and I think for most places in Lagos.
“The public has a duty to protect public assets. We are doing everything possible to ensure the coastal highway is free and functional, but citizens must also play their part,” he said.
Beyond the coastal road, Umahi expressed concern over the condition of major bridges in Lagos, including the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge.
He disclosed that serious structural issues had been identified, with experts recommending eventual demolition of Carter Bridge.
Temporary measures are being implemented to keep it functional for about three years pending reconstruction.
Umahi attributed much of the damage to illegal sand mining around bridge foundations, explaining that many bridge piles depend on sand for stability.
“To the extent that by investigations and stakeholders’ meetings, experts have said Carter Bridge has to be demolished.
“But we are doing everything possible to strengthen it so that we can use it for the next three years pending reconstruction,” he said.
He cited an incident in which an illegal miner struck and removed a bridge pile, adding: “We have directed that the company involved be prosecuted. These illegalities have serious consequences on our infrastructure.”
The minister also listed other acts of vandalism nationwide, including the theft of expansion joints on bridges, reinforced concrete barriers on the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano highway, and electrical installations on flyovers and bridges.
“Just about two weeks back, we caught people removing expansion joints on Carter Bridge in Lagos.
“This is the second time we are catching people there,” he said, noting that expansion joints were often sold as scrap, weakening structural integrity.
Umahi highlighted the role of security technology, noting that the installation of Closed-Circuit Television cameras on the Third Mainland Bridge, as directed by President Bola Tinubu, had helped track and arrest vandals.
“It was very easy for the police to catch the vandals because of the CCTV installed there,” he said.
The minister warned against the practice of parking heavy trucks on bridges, stressing that bridges are not designed to withstand prolonged static loads.
“Roads and bridges are never designed for static loads. When you allow heavy trucks and vehicles to be parked on bridges, you are asking for trouble,” he cautioned.
He reiterated that the Federal Government had adopted reinforced concrete technology in road construction to enhance durability.
“The President inherited a very terrible state of roads and bridges. That is why he introduced reinforced concrete technology.
“The roads we are building now will last between 50 and 100 years, unlike many older roads that failed within 10 years,” he said.
While acknowledging that no project execution was perfect, Umahi insisted that the ministry remained committed to transparency and value for money.
“No one is God. No human being does anything in perfect order. But we are doing everything within the limit of our ability and conscience to ensure there is value for money and that we address the needs of our people,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to take collective responsibility for safeguarding public infrastructure, warning that repeated vandalism would drain public resources and slow national development.
“If we do not protect this infrastructure, repairs will have to be repeated. That is not good for our society.
“The President is working tirelessly to deliver these projects, and we must all help to protect them,” he concluded. (The Punch)
Motorists and travellers using the Benin-Agbor-Asaba route have been stranded for days as severe traffic congestion continues to disrupt movement between the South-South, South-East and Lagos.
The gridlock, which has reportedly persisted for about five days, has left motorists spending long hours on the road, with some travellers unable to reach their destinations.
The situation has been attributed largely to the poor condition of sections of the road, which has been further worsened by heavy rainfall in the area.
Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi and some National Assembly members inspecting Benin-Agbor road on Tuesday
The rain has reportedly made some portions of the road difficult to navigate, resulting in vehicles becoming stuck and worsening the already severe congestion.
The route is a major link for motorists travelling between Lagos and several states in the South-South and South-East, making the prolonged gridlock a major concern for travellers, transport operators and motorists.
Some motorists have reportedly been forced to spend extended periods on the road as efforts to navigate the affected sections have proved difficult.
The development has also raised concerns about the impact of the bad road on the movement of goods and passengers, particularly during the rainy season.
Travellers using the route have called for urgent intervention to restore movement and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Tuesday led an urgent federal intervention on the congested Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway following President Bola Tinubu’s order to ease the hardship faced by stranded motorists.
Umah’s arrival in Edo State was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, who shared a video of the minister’s on-site inspection on his official X handle.
“Umahi arrives in Benin, Edo State, to address the congestion on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road,” Nwaze posted, adding in a subsequent update, “Umahi arrives Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road to resolve issues surrounding the road, which was handed over to concessionaire on PPP Basis since 2025.”
In an official press statement issued on Tuesday, Nwaze confirmed that Tinubu ordered immediate corrective measures on both the Benin-Agbor-Asaba axis and the deplorable Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road spanning Ekiti and Kogi States.
To execute the directive, Umahi reportedly deployed the Minister of State for Works alongside ministry officials to commence remedial works on the Ekiti-Kogi corridor.
“While the intervention team moved into Ekiti and Kogi States, Umahi himself headed to Benin, Edo State, alongside members of the National Assembly Works Committees, to initiate a similar coordinated intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road.
“The Benin meeting is expected to bring together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Edo and Delta State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the aim of finding immediate solutions to the challenges confronting motorists on the strategic corridor,” the statement partly read.
The FCT Police Command has identified officers accused of allegedly extorting N40,000 from a resident along Wuye-Utako Road, near Salem Church, in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Command said the officers depicted in a video circulating on social media had been identified and were in custody.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
“The attention of the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, PhD, FCAI, has been drawn to a video circulating on social media alleging that police officers of the FCT Police Command extorted an FCT resident of the sum of Forty Thousand Naira (₦40,000) along Wuye – Utako Road, by Salem Church, within the Federal Capital Territory.
“The officers depicted in the video have been identified and are in custody,” the statement read.
The video, which began circulating widely on social media around August 24, features a man who claimed that on August 20, 2026, a police officer in Abuja collected ₦40,000 from him even after verifying that his documents were complete.
The man shared footage showing a receipt and a conversation after he returned to the checkpoint.
Adeh said the Command had also invited the complainant to the FCT Police Command Headquarters to give an official statement on the incident to aid investigation and disciplinary action.
Country music legend and Hollywood star, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80, her family has announced.
Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, announced her death on Tuesday in a video shared on her social media account, describing the moment as one of “absolute pride and great sadness”. The family did not immediately disclose the cause of death.
The Tennessee-born singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist enjoyed a career spanning more than six decades and became one of the most recognisable figures in American popular culture.
Late Dolly Parton
Known as the “Queen of Country”, Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide and earned numerous honours, including multiple Grammy Awards. Her enduring hits included “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You”, “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors”.
Her death came after a period of health challenges. In May, Parton announced the cancellation of a Las Vegas performance, revealing that she had been undergoing treatment for kidney stones and was also dealing with problems affecting her immune and digestive systems.
Just days before her death, Parton had indicated that she was still determined to work despite acknowledging that she had slowed down following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.
“Even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!” she said, insisting that she still had many things she wanted to accomplish.
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children in a poor family. She grew up in the Appalachian region, where her mother’s love for traditional music helped nurture her passion for singing and songwriting.
She began performing as a child and moved to Nashville shortly after graduating from high school in 1964. Her songwriting talent soon earned her recognition, before she established herself as a major recording artiste.
Parton’s breakthrough included “Jolene”, which became one of her signature songs. Her composition “I Will Always Love You” later became a global hit for Whitney Houston after the singer recorded it for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Beyond music, Parton built a successful acting career, starring in films including 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She also became a prominent businesswoman through Dollywood, the theme park she established in Tennessee in 1986.
Her influence extended well beyond entertainment. Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation and its Imagination Library initiative, which provides free books to children, making childhood literacy one of the major causes associated with her name.
She also donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University in 2020, funding that contributed to research that later helped in the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Parton’s personal life also attracted public interest. She married Carl Dean in 1966, and the couple remained together for nearly six decades until his death in 2025. They had no children.
Despite her global fame, Parton remained closely connected to her Tennessee roots and used her success to support communities, education, healthcare and other charitable causes.
Her death brings to an end the life of an entertainer whose influence crossed generations, musical genres and national boundaries, leaving behind a vast catalogue of songs and a philanthropic legacy that extended far beyond country music.
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