An expatriate contractor with a major firm has been apprehended by the Abuja Metropolitan Management Company (AMMC) for allegedly vandalizing vital streetlight components in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This arrest, which aims to combat rising vandalism, was announced by AMMC Coordinator Felix Obuah during an inspection of damaged cables and poles across various parts of Abuja.
Obuah revealed that the contractor, actively working within Abuja, allegedly tampered with streetlight cables and poles to secure new contracts from government authorities. Following the arrest, the contractor was handed over to the police, who will investigate further under the guidance of the FCT Administration. However, Obuah has chosen not to disclose the contractor’s name and nationality until the investigation is fully completed.
Initially, AMMC had assumed that the recent cable theft incidents in the city were the work of miscreants and scavengers. This arrest, however, suggests that larger-scale contractors may be involved in sabotaging public infrastructure for personal gain.
The vandalism, particularly along the Kubwa Expressway, has left several neighborhoods, including Gwagwalada, Dawaki, and Kasauna, in darkness. “Today, we apprehended a prominent contractor—an expatriate—who was found tampering with our streetlight poles. Evidence has been collected, and the contractor is now in custody,” Obuah stated. He added, “Our findings will be reported to the minister. We are determined to uncover all those responsible for these acts and trace the buyers of these stolen components to support the minister’s vision of transforming Abuja into one of the world’s finest cities.”
Obuah also highlighted that the AMMC maintenance team has already restored lighting along key roads such as Musa Yar’Adua, Solomon Lar (Jabi), and Hassan Katsina. He assured residents that officials would continue working across all 21 lots in the city to restore lighting to affected major roads as quickly as possible.
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