Police Arrest 31 Suspects, Recover N1bn In Stolen Items In Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Police Command reported that it had apprehended 31 suspects and retrieved more than N1 billion worth of public property in Abuja.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Mr. Olatunji Disu, said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

He said 16 of the suspects had been charged to court for criminal conspiracy and mischief by injury to public roads, navigable channels, and electrical installation.

The CP said the offenses were punishable by life imprisonment, a fine, or both under Section 332 of the Penal Code.

Disu said 115 units of manhole and drainage covers, five motorcycles, stripped parts of electrical transformers, and industrial scaffolding.

Others, according to him, are bundles of armored and insulated cables, copper wires, and fiber optic cables recovered from the suspects.

He said other items recovered were 29 industrial/solar batteries, solar panels, several stolen infrastructure materials, 75 bags of cement, security doors, three pieces of 5 kg cylinders, and others.

Disu said the arrest and recovery of the items followed the launch of the “Operation Sweep” Joint Task Force, consisting of the police and other security agencies in the FCT.

The commissioner said the operation was a decisive enforcement, targeting vandalism, destruction, and illegal sales of critical infrastructure to “pantaker” operators and other illicit buyers.

He said that the ongoing intensive enforcement operation which commenced on Jan. 16, had been on a daily basis, both day and night.

He said it had led to the raid of several major “pantaker” markets in the territory, including Dei-Dei, Kabusa, Dei-Dei Outward Lane, Zuba, Mpape, Jabi, and Nyanya.

Disu said Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), under the directive of the FCT Minister, had mandated all pantaker market operators to report for profiling and registration.

He said the idea was part of efforts to curb the menace of vandalism in the FCT, adding that the activities of scavengers in the FCT remained banned.

Disu commended other security agencies in the FCT for their support in the Joint Task Force operation.