Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, has urged the immediate execution of individuals apprehended for vandalizing and stealing materials on federal highways.
Onanuga spoke on Sunday in response to a video shared on X by user, Salanwu Omoiyaonipako, which showed vandals cutting starter bars and shoulder rods at the reconstruction site of the Ibadan-Ilesa/Ife Federal Highway.
According to Omoiyaonipako, despite the government’s efforts to deliver quality roads for Nigerians, vandals continue to destroy public infrastructure.
He wrote: “Update on the reconstruction of the Ibadan-Ilesa/Ife Federal Highway.
“Vandals are at it again! They’re cutting and removing starter bars/shoulder rods at the construction site.
“This is pure wickedness. The government is helping us build good roads, but some Nigerians are vandalising them. I’m tired!”
Reacting to the video, Onanuga described the vandals as “unconscionable” and “the worst species of citizenship”.
He added in a quoted response: “Just shoot these unconscionable vandals/thieves at sight. They are the worst species of citizens.”
Vandalism of government property on highways is not limited to road construction.
Vandals have also been implicated in stealing and destroying oil pipelines, railway tracks, and electricity cables and poles, often causing service disruptions and, in some cases, fatalities.