FCT Police Recovers Stolen Items Worth N1bn in Panteka Market Raids

Oluwakemi Kindness

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command on Friday arrested 31 suspects involved in the theft and vandalism of public infrastructure worth over one billion naira.

Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, who revealed this development at a Press briefing in Abuja, said the arrests followed a joint security operation, code named, Operation Sweep, launched to combat the rising menace of vandalism across the FCT.

According to him, the operation between January 16th till date has led to the recovery of stolen public assets, including manhole covers, electric cables, transformer components, solar panels, industrial batteries, and other items.

“In alignment with this directive, the FCT Police Command and other sister security agencies initiated “Operation Sweep”, a decisive enforcement action targeting the vandalisation, destruction, and illegal sale of critical infrastructure to Panteka operators and other illicit buyers”, he said.

“the ongoing intensive enforcement operation, conducted both day and night, commenced on Thursday, January 16, 2025, and has yielded significant results so far”. Several major Panteka markets were raided, including; Dei-Dei Panteka, Kabusa Panteka, Dei-Dei Outward Lane Panteka, Zuba Panteka, Mpape Panteka, Jabi Panteka, Nyanya Panteka”.

CP Disu further explained that sixteen of the arrested suspects have already been charged to court under Section 332 of the Penal Code, which prescribes life imprisonment for mischief involving public roads, electrical installations, and other critical infrastructure.

The suspects charged to court include: “Abubakar Adamu, Emmanuel John Eze, Emeka Eziekel, Ahmad Suleiman, Dennis Chiagozie, Ismail Usman, Victor Ezeokoye, Izundu Videlis, Alex Okechukwu Eddy, Jonathan R. Obi, Simon Samuel, Mubarak Lawal, Okafor Ekene, Usman Lawal, Shuaibu Yahaya, James Edu”.

The exhibits recovered during the operation: include, “115 units of manhole covers and drainage covers, Five (5) motorcycles, Stripped parts of electric transformers, Industrial scaffoldings, Bundles of armoured and insulated cables, Copper wires, Fiber optic cables, Twenty-nine (29) industrial/solar batteries, Solar panels, 10. Several other stolen infrastructure materials, Seventy-five 75) bags of cement”,.

Others are “Security doors, three (03 pieces of 5kg cylinders, Power generating sets, Two (2) water pumping machines, Ninety-five (95) cartoons of floor tiles, Water board underground pipes, One (1) unit of mobile air conditioner, Twelve (12) large-size solar panels, Three (03) iron chairs,Tractor spare parts, One golf vehicle with Reg. No. KUJ 236 BW carrying suspected stolen scaffolds, Two (02) pieces of vehicle chassis number templates and Large quantity of suspected stolen electric changeover”,.

Meanwhile, CP Disu said the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), under the directive of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has mandated all Panteka market operators to report for profiling and registration.

He reiterated the ban on scavengers in Abuja, vowing that the crackdown would continue, leaving no hiding place for those engaged in infrastructure theft and also mandated all Panteka operators to undergo registration.