The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has paraded five suspects following the ongoing crackdown on vandals of streetlights in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
AMMC’s Coordinator, Chief Felix Obuah, confirmed this during a briefing with Journalists in Abuja while parading some of the suspects.
Obuah stated that over sixteen suspects were arrested within the week.
He also revealed that five suspects were arrested on Thursday alone, with two others evading capture.
The AMMC’s boss emphasised the importance of public vigilance and media collaboration, stating that,
“Security is everyone’s responsibility. We’ve enlisted the support of local vigilantes and hunters, which led to today’s arrests.”
He warned that any individuals involved in vandalising government property, including the vandals and buyers, would face legal action.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the AMMC’s intensified efforts come amid rising concerns about damage to new solar-powered streetlights, which were recently installed to improve public safety and visibility at night.
AMMC revealed that an expatriate contractor who was arrested earlier in the week has been handed over to the police after being caught dismantling streetlight components.
Obuah accused the contractor of damaging infrastructure as part of a ploy to secure future repair contracts.
The contractor for the solar installations, Aderemi Rashid reported that some equipment were stolen despite anti-theft measures put in place to safeguard the infrastructure.
He added that such theft could have been made only by experienced vandals using sophisticated gadgets, “The equipment used suggests a level of sophistication beyond ordinary miscreants,” Rashid noted.
