Experts decry vandalism of public facilities

Vandalism of public property is a serious social problem that affects a society’s development, beauty, and well-being, yet it also carries a heavy financial burden for the government and the state.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting, vandalism is defined as willfully or maliciously destroying, injuring, disfiguring, or defacing any public or private property without the owner’s or custodian’s consent.

 This, the FBI said, includes acts like cutting, tearing, breaking, marking, painting, or covering with filth, as well as attempts to commit these acts.

 In Nigeria, it includes breaking streetlights, destroying school furniture, damaging public toilets, defacing walls, destroying road signs, and damaging public transportation facilities.

 A few weeks after Sunday PUNCH published a feature on the vandalism of homes and the Alakija Bridge in FESTAC, another shocking discovery was made.

It was observed that suspected vandals had launched another attack on the wiring of streetlights mounted along the Oshodi-Mile 2 Expressway.

 All the wires in the concrete bases holding the streetlights had been extracted from Ilasamaja down to Cele Bus Stop.

Experts said public property belongs to everyone and is provided to make life easier, safer, and more comfortable for members of the community, insisting that destroying these facilities is an act of irresponsibility that affects the entire society.

They held that vandalism also places an unnecessary financial burden on the government, as public funds that could have been used for education, healthcare, and other developmental projects must instead be spent on repairing damaged property.

An economist and policy expert, Vincent Ezeme, said acts of vandalism of public property are economic sabotage that could create insecurity, environmental pollution, and inconvenience for innocent citizens.

 He noted that vandalism slows down national development and discourages investment, emphasising that everyone has a responsibility to protect public property because it is meant to serve both present and future generations.

“Vandalism in all its forms should be strongly discouraged through public awareness, proper education, and appropriate punishment for offenders. The government is losing money and at the same time engaged in double expenditure,” he said.

 In Nigeria, the law treats the willful destruction, removal, or defacement of public property as a serious criminal offence.

There are several federal and state laws that are known to apply to the destruction of public infrastructure, although experts argue that they depend on the nature of the offence, the property involved, the location, and the applicable statutory provisions.

 Among these laws are federal enactments relevant to the discussion, including the Miscellaneous Offences Act, the Electricity Act 2023, and the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act.

Also, the Criminal Code and the Penal Code contain provisions concerning property damage and related offences, subject to their territorial application and the specific facts of each case.

 Under Section 1(3) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, unlawfully damaging or defacing government-owned property carries a prison term of up to 14 years without the option of a fine.

 Also, damaging vital installations such as railway, electric, telephone, or highway lines carries a prison term of up to 21 years without the option of a fine.

According to the founder of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, these criminal activities undermine economic development, disrupt essential services, endanger human lives, and impose enormous financial costs on a country already grappling with significant economic challenges.

He said organised criminal networks continue to target electricity distribution systems, transmission lines, transformers, railway infrastructure, bridges, drainage systems, and other public assets.

 Onwubiko said individuals who invest their life savings in building homes or businesses should not have to live in fear that criminals will destroy those investments to steal iron rods, cables, or other materials for resale.

“The challenge, therefore, is not merely to apprehend individual offenders. It is to dismantle the networks that finance, facilitate, and profit from infrastructure theft.

 “Scrap-metal dealers who knowingly purchase stolen public assets must also be held accountable where the evidence establishes their involvement. At the same time, legitimate recycling businesses should be distinguished from criminal enterprises,” he said.

 ‘Go after vandals’

Following the cases of vandalism in the state, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, directed security agencies to go after the criminals.

In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, the governor vowed that those responsible for the vandalism would face the law.

 “Lagos will not tolerate any act of vandalism because it is barbaric and criminal. Anyone who is found to be culpable in this horrendous, shameful, and condemnable incident will surely face the law.

 “Lagos has no place for such barbarism and acts of violence against our critical infrastructure and other facilities. Lagosians are enjoined to keep an eye on public facilities to protect them against senseless attacks,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Similarly, the state House of Assembly also called for stronger community-level security and tougher prosecution of vandals and their collaborators.

Speaking during its deliberations at plenary, the lawmakers urged the state government to adequately equip and train the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps and other local security outfits to improve surveillance and help prevent the vandalism of roads, bridges, and other public facilities.

• Association seeks help for orphans
• FG targets 24-hour power supply in Lagos, others
• Lagos targets 2,000MW power supply March 2027

 The Assembly also warned that efforts to tackle the problem should not end with the arrest of suspected vandals, insisting that individuals and businesses that buy, sell, or profit from stolen government property should also be investigated and prosecuted.

 The demands followed a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Ikorodu II, Moshood Aro, during plenary, after concerns were raised over the vandalism of public infrastructure, particularly in FESTAC.

Aro said the destruction of facilities provided with taxpayers’ money was imposing a double financial burden on residents, who ultimately had to fund their repair or replacement.

“It baffles me that some residents of Lagos ought to be experiencing this kind of situation, knowing that we are paying for these facilities with our money,” Aro said.

 He argued that the government could not continue to spend public funds on infrastructure only for the same facilities to be destroyed and require additional expenditure for repairs.

 “Public funds are being used to provide these facilities, and when they are damaged or vandalised, public funds are again required to repair them. This places an additional burden on taxpayers,” he said.

 Aro called for closer scrutiny of businesses and individuals purchasing scrap materials from suspected vandals, arguing that the illegal market for stolen public assets must be disrupted if infrastructure vandalism is to be effectively tackled.

While addressing the consequences of vandalism is important, prevention has remained the most effective strategy for combating this pervasive issue.

According to Tangi Carter & Associates, building strong community ties and fostering a sense of belonging can help deter individuals from engaging in acts of vandalism.

It noted that community events, neighbourhood watch programmes, and youth outreach initiatives can all play a role in promoting positive social behaviour.

“Raising awareness about the negative impacts of vandalism and the importance of respecting public and private property can help instil a sense of responsibility and accountability among individuals.

“Implementing design strategies that discourage vandalism, such as improved lighting, surveillance cameras, and graffiti-resistant materials, can help reduce the incidence of vandalism in public spaces,” the association stated.

It emphasised that swift and consistent enforcement of vandalism laws could send a clear message that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

“Collaborating with law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend vandals can help deter future incidents and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions,” it added.

Convicted cases

In 2026, a report stated that Abubakar Jaji was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for allegedly damaging and removing iron railings from the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

The report attributed the prosecution to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Also, in November 2025, Mudasuru Mutari and Blorie Kokori were convicted in connection with the dismantling of railway components on the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor, near Abraka, Delta State.

The reported sentence was two years’ imprisonment, following prosecution under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

Also, in 2025, Emmanuel Sunday was reportedly sentenced by a court in Asaba, Delta State, for damaging the drainage system associated with the Ebu Bridge.

The reported sentence involved imprisonment and community service.

In the Kano railway components case in June 2025, four suspects, Mukhtar Muhammed, Abdullahi Musa, Saidu Yusheru, and Salisu Shuabu, were reportedly convicted after pleading guilty to offences connected with the theft of railway components in Gabasawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The names, charges, and sentences should be verified through the relevant court records.

A report stated that a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Oshodi sentenced a person to four months’ imprisonment in 2024 for attempting to remove structural materials from the Jibowu Bridge.

The individual was reportedly apprehended by the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline Brigade.

Another reported case concerns Inya Bethel, who was allegedly sentenced by a Lagos Magistrate Court on 21 July 2025 to 10 months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for cable theft.

Such cases underline the importance of protecting electrical installations and prosecuting those who steal cables and other materials essential to electricity distribution.

The statutory provision and the court’s final order should be verified before the case is cited as an authoritative example.

A lawyer and the principal partner of Lawrence Ndukwe and Co., Emeka Ndukwe, said arrest, prosecution and conviction of the offenders will reduce the propensity that others would toe the same path.

“Once you ensure that offenders are punished, ideally and accordingly, then you can say that you have or may have deterred others,” he added.