THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police command has recovered additional ten (10) stolen manhole covers, bringing the total number so far retrieved in Abuja to 125.
The command, in a statement on Sunday, February 9, signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said the recovery underscores the command’s relentless pursuit of criminals engaged in the destruction and theft of public assets.
The command said the latest recovery, made on February 4, 2025, followed intelligence-led operations in the Dei-Dei area, where officers uncovered the stolen items concealed in a pit.
According to the command, the breakthrough was made possible through a tip-off from a vigilant informant, reaffirming the critical role of public cooperation in crime fighting efforts.
The FCT command said the commissioner, Olatunji Disu, has issued a stern warning to all perpetrators of vandalism and those complicit in the illicit trade of stolen public property.
He also reaffirmed the command’s unwavering commitment to eradicating infrastructure theft and dismantling criminal networks operating within the FCT.
“We will not relent in our search for stolen public assets. Our operatives are intensifying efforts to locate and dismantle illegal warehouses and storage sites where vandals may be stockpiling stolen infrastructure. The FCT must be free from the grip of these criminal elements,” the command stated.
The police said the recovery operation comes on the heels of a breakthrough last week when the command, in collaboration with the Joint Task Force (JTF) constituted by the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, intercepted and recovered vandalised public infrastructure.
The commissioner commended residents for their continued support and urged them to remain vigilant, emphasising that public assets are a shared responsibility and must be protected to ensure a safe and functional environment for all.
The ICIR reported in January that the FCT command, in collaboration with other security agencies, arrested suspected vandals responsible for the stealing of Abuja highway sewage manhole covers.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday, January 5, signed by the senior special assistant on public communications and New Media to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka.
According to Olayinka, some of the suspected criminals were behind the removal of sewage manhole covers on highways in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He said efforts were also being made to apprehend their collaborators, especially buyers of the manhole covers.
Olayinka added that, as directed by the FCT minister, relevant stakeholders were already working hard to stop the act.
The ICIR reports that manhole cover theft has been rampant in Abuja.
In 2022, The ICIR, in an investigation, exposed how Abuja became the city with uncovered manholes.
A reporter with the ICIR
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