Police operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have swooped on suspected thieves who vandalise Abuja manholes and street lights.

The suspects were paraded by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT Command, CP Tunji Disu.
Dozens of manholes and public infrastructures stolen by the suspects were recovered.

Disu said, “Operatives conducted a targeted operation, leading to the arrest of 50 suspects and recovery of 25 manhole covers, three vehicles, vandalized solar street lights, galvanized rods used in the construction of flyovers, other tools used in vandalizing these government installations, and several other exhibits at various Panteka hotspots in Kabusa, Garki, Mabushi, and Wuse.

“Investigations have revealed that these individuals operate as part of a larger network, selling stolen manhole covers to scrap dealers. This criminal activity endangers the lives of the general public by creating hazards on roads and walkways while undermining the integrity of public infrastructure.”

The arrested suspects are: Bashir Usman, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sani Isah, Ibrahim Hassan, Mustapha Hassan, Awal Nawan, Umar Aliyu, Auta Umar, Simon Clement, Datti Ibrahim, Mohammed Salim, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Ifeanyi-Chukwu Emmanuel, Abba Ismail, and Najib Abdul.

Others are: Muhammed Lawal, Rabiu Ibrahim, Adamu Suleiman, Abdulkarim Abdullahi, Haruna Nasiru, Abdul Nai’ja, Josua Steven, Livinus Steven, Ismail Abdullahi, Munir Sada, and Ibrahim Yahaya.

The rest are: Yahaya Musa, Dahiru Nasiru, Abdullahi Muhammed, Monday Barnabas, Hamisu Iman, Promise Abanonum, Ehieze Emeka, Ehieze Justice, Mohammed Inusa, Tijanni Suleiman, Promise James, Haruna Auwalu, Ayuba Danjuma, Suleiman Abu, Nafiu Ahmmed, Kamalu Junaidu, Zaradeen Yakubu, Abdulhadi Adam, Mohammed Ibrahim, Chukwu Emmanuel, Douglas Yahaya, Mohammed Lawal, Auwal Musa, and Abubakar Kabiru.

No fewer than 25 galvanized manhole covers, five solar street lights, several galvanized poles used in the construction of flyovers, and 15 street light poles cut into smaller pieces were recovered.

Several rolls of high-voltage AEDC cables, two locally made pistols, two live cartridges, one sharp knife, thirty tubes of triple sub glue, several charms, 13 large solar panels, seven barrels of diesel suspected to have been stolen from network masts, one Volkswagen Sporter bus with Reg. No. BJK 592 XA reconstructed into a diesel tanker and one Toyota Carina II vehicle with Reg. No. RBC 312 JL, among other items, including cars.

The police boss noted that the diversity and volume of recovered items highlight the extensive and organised nature of these syndicates, whose activities have caused significant harm to public infrastructure projects and services in the FCT.

Disu noted: “I want to emphasize that the FCT Police Command and our sister security agencies operate a zero-tolerance policy toward acts of vandalism and theft that undermine public infrastructure and safety.

“This achievement underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting the critical infrastructure of the Federal Capital Territory. We will continue to ensure that all those responsible for these criminal acts are brought to justice. The kind of these enclaves will continue.”