The Federal Government has deployed a newly trained team of Coastal Road Guards to protect the multi-billion-naira Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from vandals and other unlawful activities.

The government has profiled 40 guards, documented their guarantors and installed tracking devices on the motorcycles assigned to them, ensuring the equipment is used strictly for official duties.

Speaking during the inauguration of the guards in Lagos yesterday, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, said the initiative was introduced in response to the persistent vandalism of facilities installed along the highway.

According to him, newly installed manhole covers, directional signs and other road infrastructure had repeatedly been stolen or damaged shortly after installation, forcing the government to replace them at huge cost.

Dare said the guards would provide 24-hour surveillance along the highway to protect public assets and preserve the quality of the strategic coastal corridor.

“The recurring destruction of road infrastructure made it necessary to establish a dedicated security outfit that will monitor the highway day and night,” he said.

He explained that the guards underwent security training conducted by the Nigeria Police Force and had been equipped with motorcycles, helmets, walkie-talkies, flashlights and other operational tools to enhance rapid response.

Beyond preventing vandalism, the guards have also been mandated to enforce traffic and environmental regulations along the highway. Their responsibilities include preventing motorcycles and tricycles from using the expressway, discouraging indiscriminate parking of trailers and trucks, stopping illegal U-turns, checking illegal grazing, street trading, encroachment on the highway corridor and indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

They are also expected to arrest offenders where necessary and hand them over to relevant security agencies.

Dare urged the personnel to discharge their duties professionally, warning that while they had been entrusted with protecting government infrastructure, they would equally be held accountable for any misconduct.

The deployment underscores the growing need for a specialised highway security outfit as work progresses on the road, one of Nigeria’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.

With thousands of commuters and businesses expected to depend on the corridor, officials believe continuous surveillance will be critical to protecting public investment and ensuring road safety.

Speaking on behalf of the guards, Deputy Team Lead Kelvin Okereke described the initiative as both a security intervention and an employment opportunity, thanking President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works for creating jobs while protecting national infrastructure.

Chief Security Officer Paul Mbam said the programme had provided him with gainful employment and valuable security training, while Administrative Officer Augustine Usumero pledged that the team would maintain proper records and ensure government assets entrusted to them were effectively managed.