Steel firm denies involvement in purchase of stolen manholes

The Abuja Steel Company’s management has denied any involvement in the procurement and smelting of stolen manhole covers.

Chethan Kumar, the spokesperson for Abuja Steel Mills Ltd., disputed the allegations and implication that the company is engaged in such operations in a statement signed on Tuesday, describing them as untrue and deceptive.

Remember how Federal Capital Territory Police Command officers detained 50 people on Monday for allegedly stealing manhole covers and lighting, among other items?

The corporation was charged as a customer of the stolen goods, and the arrest came after sewage manhole covers were vandalized along important transportation corridors in the capital city.

The assertions or implication that the Abuja Steel Company deals in small-scale business talks or transactions with individuals or unapproved agents are untrue and deceptive. The company operates within a large-scale industrial framework.

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We are a top-tier business that is a member of the Nigerian steel industry’s largest conglomerate. We are the only steel production company in Gujeni, Kaduna State, that has a fully integrated iron-ore mining and processing facility. Because of this, we are already switching from scrap metals to direct reduction iron ore from African Natural Resources and Mines Limited, our sister company.

In order to preserve its reputation and guarantee accountability, the statement also revealed that a comprehensive inquiry has been started into the situation.

Abuja Steel Company stated its confidence that further investigations will clear the company of the charges and stated its complete commitment to working with law enforcement to find the truth and hold those accountable for the theft and destruction of public infrastructure.

The business says it believes the accusations are an attempt by certain special interests to damage its well-earned image and asks the Nigerian public and its esteemed clients to ignore them.

“In the Federal Capital Territory and beyond, our organization takes pleasure in being a pillar of ethical business practices. We remain committed to positively influencing Nigeria’s economic development and upholding public confidence, and we firmly oppose any kind of theft or vandalism that jeopardizes public safety and infrastructure,” the statement said.