Security Operatives Recover N1bn Worth of Stolen Items in Abuja Raid
Joint security operatives, led by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, have recovered stolen public infrastructure worth over N1 billion following a raid on shanties and Panteka markets in Abuja.
The operation also led to the arrest of 31 suspects involved in the illegal trade of stolen goods.
The raid was carried out by a combined team of security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Abuja Development Control (ADC).
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, stated that the recovered items included:
•115 units of manhole covers marked ‘Not for Sale’
•Five motorcycles
•Large quantities of electrical cables and copper wires
•Cut-to-size electric transformers
•12 large solar panels
•22mm iron rods
•Industrial solar batteries
•Fabricated Mercedes Benz chassis numbers
•Fake vehicle documents
•Weighing scales and vehicle rims
CP Disu urged residents to refrain from purchasing stolen items from scavengers or Panteka dealers, warning that many of these goods are public property obtained through vandalism.
The raid was part of a broader strategy ordered by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who convened a high-level security meeting to address the rising cases of vandalism and theft of public infrastructure.
As part of this directive, a joint task force was established to shut down all scrap yards and Panteka markets in the capital. Major markets affected include Dei-Dei Panteka, Kabusa Panteka, Dei-Dei Outward Lane Panteka, Zuba Panteka, Mpape Panteka, Jabi Panteka, and Nyanya Panteka.
Authorities have vowed to sustain the crackdown to curb the destruction of public assets and warned against dealing in stolen goods.
