The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 31 vandals and recovered stolen public properties valued at over N1 billion in Abuja.
The recovered properties include 115 manhole and drainage covers, stripped transformer parts, industrial scaffolding, armoured cables, copper wires, and fiber optic cables.
Other seized items from the vandals include solar panels, industrial batteries, cement bags, security doors, and gas cylinders.
The arrests followed the launch of “Operation Sweep,” a Joint Task Force initiative targeting infrastructure vandalism and illegal sales of stolen public assets.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday, stating that 16 suspects had already been charged with criminal conspiracy and damage to public property, offenses punishable under Section 332 of the Penal Code.
The ongoing crackdown, which began on January 16, has led to raids in major black markets across Abuja, including Dei-Dei, Kabusa, Zuba, Mpape, Jabi, and Nyanya.
To curb further vandalism, the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) has mandated all scrap dealers to undergo registration and profiling, while scavenging remains banned in the FCT.
Disu also commended other security agencies for their collaboration in the enforcement efforts.
