FCTA vows to eradicate infrastructure vandalism
Owing to the spate of public property vandalism across the nation’s capital city, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has promised to get to the root of the activities of vandals especially by fishing out who their sponsors are and seriously deal with them.
Speaking to the media while touring the FCT facilities after his appointment, the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), T. Umar Shuaibu, disclosed that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhamad Musa Bello, will do all he can to ensure that the city is sanitised of all vandals of public infrastructure such as streetlights, manholes, bridge tails (kerbs) among others and are brought to book.
He assured residents of uppermost continuous security and that the city will always glow at night with bright lights.
The Coordinator further stated that it is very embarrassing that the administration struggles hard as well as spends huge sums of money to ensure that the streetlights are replaced daily on major streets within the city
from Life Camp – JT Useni Street, Abubakar Koko Street, Sabo Ago Street up to the longest street in Abuja – Ahmadu Bello Way past Assembly Quarters to Apo Gudu Axis,
while some nonentities and hooligans are busy struggling to run down the government as they vandalise the electrical cables and other accessories,
thus running the Administration down by making the major streets dark at night which has often caused so much embarrassment to visitors arriving the city at night, thereby blaming the FCT Administration for not doing anything and also increasing rate of insecurity.
Shuaibu pleaded with the unemployed or low income earners in the city to shun activities of the bourgeoisies but get involved in only truthful and meaningful ventures to earn money.
He however said that residents should avoid patronising such stolen goods and urged everyone to report suspected individuals to the security agencies.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command, has said that fulfillment of its commitment is to strengthen security around critical infrastructure and safeguard them from being vandalised, also to ensure that suspected cables thieves or vandals are arrested and made to face the law.
The command said this while briefing the press on the recent arrest of vandals in the FCT.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri J. Manzah, disclosed that following a tipoff, police operatives attached to Kubwa Division on patrol intercepted and arrested Sunday Etiese (35 years) and Joseph Thomas (24 years) of Mpape while attempting to vandalise street light cables along Outer Northern Expressway Kubwa (ONEX).
In an interview with the suspects, they confessed to have committed the crime.
According to them, they have vandalised cables in the area on two separate occasions and were paid N14,000 each by their master (now at large) for every operation.
Meanwhile, the suspects have been transferred to the Command Criminal Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
In another development, the Police have arrested three suspects who specialise in vandalising NITEL cables. The suspects were arrested around Power House Junction Asokoro while burning some of the vandalised cables. However, efforts have been intensified to arrest their cohorts and receiver.
The suspects and exhibits will soon be transferred to the Command Criminal Investigation Intelligence Department too for further discreet investigation.
The suspects revealed that after burning the cables, they sell 1 kilo of the melted wire for N900 each which is further recycled by the buyers for other uses.
For now, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council will intensify publicity and sensitisation to the public to desist from destroying the public infrastructure meant for the comfort of everyone and attitudinal change to reverse the trend as we join hands to build a befitting garden city of our dream.
