The Abuja Police command has announced the arrest of 50 thieves and recovered from them various items, including manhole covers, solar street lights, vehicles and many more.
The Command told newsmen today, January 6, that the arrests were made in partnership with relevant bodies
“The Command has successfully arrested groups of suspects involved in the vandalism and theft of manhole covers within the territory.
“Our operatives conducted a targeted operation, leading to the arrest of FIFTY (50) suspects and recovery of TWENTY-FIVE (25) manhole covers, THREE (3) 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.
“Below is a detailed breakdown of the suspects arrested and exhibits recovered:
SUSPECTS ARRESTED:
1. Bashir Usman
2. Shaibu Ibrahim
3. Sani Isah
4. Ibrahim Hassan
5. Mustapha Hassan
6. Awal Nawan
7. Umar Aliyu
8. Auta Umar
9. Simon Clement
10. Datti Ibrahim
11. Mohammed Salim
12. Ibrahim Ibrahim
13. Ifeanyi-Chuckwu Emmanuel
14. Abba Ismail
15. Najib Abdul
16. Muhammed Lawal
17. Rabiu Ibrahim
18. Adamu Suleiman
19. Abdulkarim Abdullahi
20. Haruna Nasiru
21. Abdul Nai’ja
22. Josua Steven
23. Livinus Steven
24. Ismail Abdullahi
25. Munir Sada
26. Ibrahim Yahaya
27. Yahaya Musa
28. Dahiru Nasiru
29. Abdullahi Muhammed
30. Monday Barnabas
31. Hamisu Iman
32. Promise Abanonum
33. Ehieze Emeka
34. Ehieze Justice
35. Mohammed Inusa
36. Tijanni Suleiman
37. Promise James
38. Haruna Auwalu
39. Ayuba Danjuma
40. Suleiman Abu
41. Nafiu Ahmmed
42. Kamalu Junaidu
43. Zaradeen Yakubu
44. Abdulhadi Adam
45. Mohammed Ibrahim
46. Chukwu Emmanuel
47. Douglas Yahaya
48. Mohammed Lawal
49. Auwal Musa
50. Abubakar Kabiru
EXHIBITS RECOVERED:
● Twenty-five (25) galvanized manhole covers
● Five (5) solar street lights
● Several galvanized poles used in the construction of flyovers
● Fifteen (15) street light poles cut into smaller pieces.
● Several rolls of high voltage AEDC cables
● Two locally made pistols
● Two live cartridges
● One sharp knife
● Thirty (30) tubes of triple sub glue
● Several charms
● Thirteen (13) large solar panels
● Seven (7) barrels of diesel suspected to have been stolen from network masts
● One (1) Volkswagen sporter bus with Reg. No. BJK 592 XA reconstructed into a diesel tanker
● One Toyota Carina II vehicle with Reg. No. RBC 312 JL
● Several iron rebar rods.
● Nine (9) car tire rims.
● One (1) fire extinguisher
● Eleven (11) plasma TV sets
● Several decoders and remotes
● Thirteen (13) cement bags
● Two reinforced iron doors
● Three (3) pumping machines suspected to be used in extracting diesel
● Two (2) car batteries
● One photo frame
● One (1) pack of tiles
● Sixteen (16) plastic chairs
● Three (3) generators
● One (1) aluminum ladder
● One (1) wheel barrow
● One (1) roll of roofing sheets
● Two (2) gas cylinders
● One (1) indoor and outdoor AC Unit
● Four (4) sumo water pumps
● Several iron cutting tools
The diversity and volume of recovered items highlight the extensive and organized nature of these syndicates, whose activities have caused significant harm to public infrastructure projects and services in the FCT.
“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.”
