The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has vowed that the 50 individuals detained for vandalising manhole covers on Abuja’s roads would face prosecution.
On Monday, the Nigerian Police Command in the FCT announced the detention of 50 suspected vandals, who were caught with 25 manhole covers and solar streetlights.
Reacting to the development, Wike said that the detained suspects would face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, the minister emphasised that no criminal would be spared.
He assured that the FCT Administration would ensure that all buyers and users of the stolen manhole covers and other public infrastructure would be apprehended.
The culprits, he said, would be prosecuted for economic sabotage and for endangering the lives of Nigerians.
Wike described the detention of the 50 suspected vandals as a demonstration of the FCTA’s zero-tolerance policy toward criminal activities, particularly the vandalisation of public amenities.
He commended security agencies for their prompt and decisive actions, calling their collaborative efforts “fantastic.”
“This is an assurance to the residents of the FCT that their lives and property are secure,” he stated.
The minister also lauded Nigerians for showing patriotism by speaking out against vandalism, emphasising that the protection of public amenities was a collective responsibility.
He urged residents of the FCT to continue using social media positively, as demonstrated by one individual who alerted authorities about the stolen manhole covers.
He pledged that the Administration would act swiftly on similar incidents in the future.
“Those stealing and buying amenities meant for the use of Nigerians are Nigerians themselves.
“They live among us, and they are known. It is, therefore, important that patriotic Nigerians begin to expose them before they carry out their criminal acts,” Wike said.
FCDA replaces vandalised manhole covers
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has started replacing the vandalised manhole covers on Independence Avenue in the Central Business District of Abuja.
The acting Executive Secretary, Mr Richard Dauda, stated this in Abuja on Monday, when he visited the area to assess the replacement exercise.
Dauda said that about 13 manhole covers in the middle of the road have been vandalised on the road corridor.
He added the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, had directed the immediate replacement of the stolen manholes to save lives and property.
“It’s unfortunate that we are having this kind of situation.
“It is not the first time. Even along this stretch, it’s not the first time and we keep coming back to replace them. I think it’s more of a security issue to check this kind of vandalism.
“Going forward, I am sure the FCT Administration will intervene very, very seriously in terms of checking vandalism within the city,” he said.
He, however, said that the replacement of the stolen manholes would take time, because of the materials used in making them and the time to produce them.
He assured residents that the FCDA would do all it could to replace the manholes to make the road safe for motorists.
He said that to address the problem of the incessant stealing of the manholes, the FCT Administration had resorted to using non-melting materials to produce the cover.
“In fact, some of the ones that were stolen are those materials that have been made from some sort of composite material.
“When you melt them, nothing much comes out of it, but they just keep stealing them.
“In some roads, we have even used concrete, and you still see people coming to break them; for what purpose and for what benefit, I don’t know,” Dauda said.