The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arraigned 16 suspects before the Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, on charges of vandalizing government infrastructure and unlawful possession of stolen property.

The arrests were part of a major crackdown on scrap yards, popularly referred to as panteka, where significant amounts of stolen and vandalized government assets were recovered. Items recovered during the operations included manhole covers, armored cables, and streetlights.

In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, the names of the suspects arraigned are Abubakar Adam, Emmanuel John Eze, Emeka Ezekiel, Ahmad Suleiman, Dennis Chigozie, Ismail Usman, Victor Ezeokoye, Izundu Fidelis, Alex Okechukwu Eddy, Jonathan R. Obi, Simon Samuel, Mubarak Lawal, Okafor Ekene, Usman Lawal, Shuaibu Yahaya and James Edu

SP Adeh further explained that the arrests were the result of intelligence-driven operations carried out at various locations across the FCT.

During their arraignment, all 16 suspects entered pleas of not guilty and were subsequently remanded at the Keffi Correctional Centre. The case has been adjourned to January 30, 2025, for further hearing.