An iron smelting company, Abuja Steel Company, located along the Abuja – Kaduna Road, has been identified as one of the receivers of stolen manhole covers from highways within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This accusation was made in a statement released on Sunday by Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant (Public Communications and New Media) to the FCT minister, who noted that efforts were being made to apprehend their collaborators, especially buyers of the stolen manhole covers.
However, Olayinka on Monday accused the company of receiving metals stolen from Abuja, disclosing that some the vandals who remove sewage manhole covers on highways in Abuja, have been arrested by security agencies and that exhibits of interest have been recovered from the company, and are in the custody of the police.
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“Further investigation is going on as to the company and others’ involvement in the removal, purchase and melting of the manhole covers.
“Recall that it was made public yesterday that arrests and recoveries were made by both the police and NSCDC. The arrested persons are helping the security agencies with useful information about the buyers of the vandalized infrastructure.
“Also, as directed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, replacement of the manhole covers that were removed by the vandals commenced yesterday,” the statement added.
