Despite being guarded by multiple security agencies, the Nigerian National Assembly complex has lost 40 manhole covers to thieves in recent months.
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Manhole cover theft is rampant in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. The heavy iron covers designed to protect underground utilities are disappearing at an alarming rate. They are often stolen at night and sold to scrap metal dealers, especially when metal prices surge. “They came with a car parked outside the gate. I didn’t see the car, but I heard the sound of the ignition,” he stated.Personnel of these security outfits are stationed at strategic locations across the premises. Yet, this has not deterred criminals from executing their operations.
Meanwhile, maintenance workers at the National Assembly have reported numerous thefts of valuable office items, including television sets, air conditioners, electrical cables, and wires.“I cannot count the number of theft cases we have seen so far; they are too numerous. As people who work in the maintenance department, we are always privileged to know about all these thefts, and some of the cases we have heard involved the theft of televisions, air conditioners, cables, and wires,” he said.
Mr Getso, the managing director of the Abuja-based Eagle Integrated Security and Logistics Company Ltd, warned that criminals could use open manholes as hideouts or storage spaces for weapons before launching attacks.“The criminals can easily use it as a strategic way of carrying out their operations. When somebody falls into that hole, the person can easily be trapped.
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