The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Company (AMMC) said it has arrested a prominent expatriate contractor for vandalising key components of street light in the nation’s capital city.
The coordinator of AMMC, Chief Felix Obuah, disclosed this on Tuesday during the inspection of vandalised cable and other accessories in some parts of the FCT.
Obuah said the expatriate involved was doing business in Abuja and was vandalising the cables and street poles to enable him get a new contract from the authority.
He said the suspect had been formally handed over by the FCT Administration to the police for investigation.
The AMMC Coordinator also declined to reveal the name and nationality of the suspect pending conclusion of investigation.
He admitted that until they were able to discover the involvement of high-level contractors in sabotage, AMMC erroneously believed that the theft of the cable components in the metropolitan was only carried out by miscreants and scavengers.
The vandalism of the cable along Kubwa Expressway left many parts of Gwagwalada, Dawaki and Kasauna in darkness.
“Today, we arrested a very prominent contractor, an expatriate, who are involved in vandalising the street light to enable them to get this contract.
“As I speak to you, one of the expatriates is in detention. He was arrested as a result of vandalising our poles. We have evidence, we have everything.
“Our report is going down to the minister. Tomorrow, immediately, we must make sure that we go to the root cause to discover those who are buying, those who are vandalising.
“To make sure that the dream of the minister, all his effort, having a sleepless night, to make sure that Abuja is one of the best cities in the whole world is achieved,” Obuah said.
He also disclosed that AMMC maintenance team had restored light to some of the major streets like Musa Yar’Adua, Solomon Lar and Hassan Katsina in Jabi District.
Obuah also said that officials of the company would continue to carry out invention on all 21 lots in the city and ensure that within a short possible time, light is restored to the vandalised major roads.
