The streetlights were installed in 2025 along the approximately five-kilometre-long bridge to illuminate the road and improve visibility and security for motorists.
However, the lights reportedly began disappearing only months after installation.
A visit to the bridge revealed several sections where the street-lighting infrastructure had been completely removed. A count of the vandalised points from the OPIC end towards Wawa showed that about 168 solar-powered streetlights were missing.
The suspected vandals appeared to have dismantled the lights systematically, loosening the screws and nuts holding the poles in place before removing and taking them away.
Some sections had missing lights at intervals, while others had stretches of up to 300 metres stripped of the infrastructure. Signs of forced removal were also observed at some locations.
The Longbridge carries heavy traffic daily, with thousands of motorists using it to travel between Lagos and other parts of the country. The bridge is also notorious for attacks on motorists whose vehicles break down, particularly at night.
The streetlights were therefore expected to improve visibility and help reduce the risk of criminal attacks along the route.
However, motorists and business owners expressed concern that the gradual disappearance of the lights was returning the bridge to darkness and exposing road users to greater danger.
A motorist identified as Segun said the theft appeared to have been carried out systematically.
“This is very sad. The theft was carefully carried out by a number of people because no one would remove a street light in 10 minutes. So, they must have taken their time to do it,” he said.
Segun warned that the darkness could make it difficult for motorists to identify people or obstacles ahead, particularly when vehicles break down at night.
Another business owner at Wawa, Dade Aina, said a streetlight near an underpass connecting both sides of the area was also removed earlier this year, leaving the area poorly lit.
She expressed concern that criminals could take advantage of the darkness to attack or kidnap motorists.
Another business owner, Labake Aliu, said the vandalism was suspected to be taking place mostly at night.
“No one knows exactly when they remove them, but we suspect it is mostly done at night,” she said.
Observations also suggested that some of the vandalism may have been carried out gradually. Some poles were found with only one of the two nuts normally used to secure them, raising the possibility that the vandals initially loosened one nut before returning later to remove the remaining fastening and take away the poles.
Some police officers had previously been seen occupying a makeshift post along the Lagos-bound section of Longbridge.
Despite the presence of security personnel in the area, motorists said the continued disappearance of the streetlights remained a major concern and urged the relevant authorities to urgently investigate the vandalism and restore the lighting infrastructure.
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