The crime in Abuja is at least three decades old, but barely 24 hours after a viral video showed how manhole covers were removed from roads in certain highbrow areas in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has paraded arrested fifty suspects in connection with the metal covers.
Meanwhile, an Abuja Iron smelting company, Abuja Steel Company, has been fingered as one of the alleged buyers of the vandalised manhole covers from the streets of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
The exhibits recovered so far from the Abuja Steel Company, located along Abuja-Kaduna road, which is now in the custody of the Police has been displayed to journalists.
The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to FCT Minister, Mr. Lere Olayinka, made the disclosure in a statement.
According to the SSA, investigations were on to unravel the level of complicity of the company, and others’ in the crime of removing, purchasing and melting of the manhole covers.
The statement said that men of the Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrested suspects in connection with manhole vandalisation, who made the revelations that led to the discovery.
The SSA added that the arrested persons were helping the Security Agencies with more useful information about the buyers of the vandalized infrastructure and all others involeved in the chain of crime.
Also, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly directed immediate replacement of the infrastructure.
A police team, according to reports, last Sunday stormed the Kabusa Pantaker Market. A pantaker marker is an open market place in Nigeria where scrap metals and used items of any type, especially 2nd hand metal, iron and aluminum, are sold, or pawned.
The Police said the fifty suspects and twenty-five manhole covers, three vehicles, vandalised solar street lights, galvanised rods used in the construction of flyovers, other tools used in vandalising these government installations, and several other exhibits were recovered from various pantaker hotspots in Kabusa, Garki, Mabushi and Wuse.
Police investigations reveal that those arrested 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 command said
Suspects arrested 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, Najib Abdul, Muhammed Lawal, Rabiu Ibrahim, Adamu Suleiman, Abdulkarim Abdullahi and Haruna Nasiru.
Other suspects arrested are Abdul Nai’ja, Josua Steven, Livinus Steven, Ismail Abdullahi, Munir Sada, Ibrahim Yahaya, 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.
● Additional report by Abuja Digest.
