FG Tracks Guards on Lagos-Calabar Highway
The Federal Government has strengthened security along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway by deploying a new team of specially trained road guards equipped with GPS-tracked motorcycles to curb vandalism and protect critical infrastructure on the flagship project.
As part of the initiative, 40 coastal road guards have been profiled, while records of their guarantors have also been documented to promote accountability. Their patrol motorcycles have been fitted with tracking devices, allowing authorities to monitor movements and ensure the vehicles are used solely for official operations.
Speaking during the inauguration in Lagos, the Federal Controller of Works, Olufemi Dare, said the move became necessary following repeated incidents of theft and destruction of newly installed road facilities, including manhole covers, traffic signs and other public assets.
The newly recruited guards underwent specialised security training facilitated by the Nigeria Police Force and have been equipped with motorcycles, helmets, walkie-talkies, flashlights and other operational gear to enable continuous surveillance of the highway corridor.
Beyond preventing vandalism, the officers have been assigned broader enforcement duties. They will monitor compliance with traffic regulations, stop illegal U-turns, prevent motorcycles and tricycles from operating on the expressway, discourage indiscriminate parking by trucks and trailers, and tackle illegal grazing, roadside trading and refuse dumping. Suspected offenders will be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Dare urged the personnel to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism, warning that they would also be held accountable for any misconduct or abuse of duty. He described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a strategic national investment that requires constant protection to safeguard public resources and ensure its long-term sustainability.
Responding on behalf of the road guards, Deputy Team Lead Kelvin Okereke welcomed the initiative, saying it not only creates employment opportunities for young Nigerians but also gives them a chance to contribute to the protection of one of the country’s most significant infrastructure projects.
The latest security deployment forms part of a wider strategy by the Federal Ministry of Works to preserve the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. It follows earlier measures restricting commercial motorcycles, tricycles and indiscriminate truck parking along the route as construction and development of the coastal corridor continue.
