The police command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has arrested 31 suspects and recovered public items worth over N1 billion in Abuja.

The commissioner of police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Olatunji Disu, said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

He said 16 suspects had been charged in court for criminal conspiracy and mischief by injury to public roads, navigable channels and electrical installation.

The CP said the offences were punishable by life imprisonment, a fine, or both under section 332 of the Penal Code.

Mr Disu said 115 units of manhole and drainage covers, five motorcycles, stripped parts of electrical transformers and industrial scaffolding were recovered.

According to the CP, others are bundles of armoured and insulated cables, copper wires and fibre optic cables that were recovered from the suspects.

He said other items recovered were 29 industrial/solar batteries, solar panels, several stolen infrastructure materials, 75 bags of cement, security doors, three pieces of 5kg cylinders and others.

Mr Disu said the arrest and recovery of the items followed the launch of the “Operation Sweep” Joint Task Force, consisting of the police and other security agencies in the FCT.

The commissioner said the operation was a decisive enforcement, targeting vandalism, destruction and illegal sales of critical infrastructure to “pantaker” operators and other illicit buyers.

He said the ongoing intensive enforcement operation, which commenced on January 16, had been on a daily basis, both day and night.

The CP said it had led to the raid of several major “pantaker” markets in the territory, including Dei-Dei, Kabusa, Dei-Dei Outward Lane, Zuba, Mpape, Jabi, and Nyanya.

Mr Disu said the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), under the directive of the FCT Minister, had mandated all partaker market operators to report for profiling and registration.

He said the idea was part of efforts to curb the menace of vandalism in the FCT, adding that the activities of scavengers in the FCT remained banned.

Mr Disu commended other security agencies in the FCT for their support in the Joint Task Force operation.

(NAN)