50 suspected manhole thieves arrested as FCT indicts steel company

Fifty people have been taken into custody by Federal Capital Territory Police Command operations for allegedly stealing manhole covers and lighting, among other items.

According to the police, the arrests were carried out during separate searches at hotspots in Kabusa, Garki, Mabushi, and Wuse in coordination with sister security organizations.

An iron smelting facility has been identified as one of the recipients of stolen manhole covers throughout the city, according to Olalere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communication and New Media.

Awal Nawan, Umar Aliyu, Auta Umar, Simon Clement, Datti Ibrahim, Mohammed Salim, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Ifeanyi-Chuckwu Emmanuel, Abba Ismail, Najib Abdul, Muhammed Lawal, Rabiu Ibrahim, Adamu Suleiman, Abdulkarim Abdullahi, and Haruna Nasiru are among the suspects.

Others include Ibrahim Yahaya, Yahaya Musa, Dahiru Nasiru, Ismail Abdullahi, Munir Sada, Josua Steven, Livinus Steven, Abdul Nai’ja, and Abdullahi Muhammed. Ehieze Emeka, Ehieze Justice, Promise Abanonum, Monday Barnabas, and Hamisu Iman Abdulhadi Adam, Mohammed Ibrahim, Chukwu Emmanuel, Douglas Yahaya, Mohammed Lawal, Auwal Musa, Mohammed Inusa, Tijanni Suleiman, Promise James, Haruna Auwalu, Ayuba Danjuma, Suleiman Abu, Nafiu Ahmmed, Kamalu Junaidu, Zaradeen Yakubu, and Abubakar Kabiru.

No fewer than 25 manhole covers, five solar street lights, fifteen streetlight poles broken into smaller pieces, several galvanized poles used to build flyovers, multiple rolls of high voltage AEDC cables, and two locally made pistols were found among the suspects, according to Tunji Disu, the Commissioner of Police, who was parading them in Abuja on Monday.

Among other things, he said, the suspects were found to have 13 large solar panels, seven barrels of diesel that were allegedly stolen from network masts, several iron cutting tools, two live cartridges, one sharp knife, thirty tubes of triple sub glue, numerous charms, one Volkswagen Sporter bus with registration number BJK 592 XA that was converted into a diesel tanker, one Toyota Carina II vehicle with registration number RBC 312 JL, two reinforced iron doors, and three pumping machines that were allegedly used to extract diesel.

According to Disu, the suspects belonged to a well-organized group that specializes in damaging public buildings and selling them to scrap dealers.

The variety and quantity of confiscated goods demonstrate the vast and well-organized character of these syndicates, whose operations have seriously harmed public infrastructure projects and services in the Federal Capital Territory.

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“I want to make it clear that theft and vandalism that compromise public safety and infrastructure are not tolerated by the FCT Police Command or our sister security agencies,” he continued.

According to Olayinka, “exhibits of interest” were found at the business on the Abuja-Kaduna Road and are currently in the police’s custody.

Abuja Steel Company, an iron smelting business, has been named as one of the purported recipients of the pilfered manhole covers. The business is situated on the Abuja-Kaduna Road, and police have seized “exhibits of interest” that were taken from the establishment.

The statement partially stated, “More inquiries are ongoing regarding the company’s and others’ involvement in the removal, acquisition, and melting of the manhole covers.”