ABUJA — The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, a division of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has detained a foreign contractor for allegedly vandalising streetlights in Abuja.
The incident was revealed on Tuesday, Wednesday, October 29, 2024, by Felix Obuah, the council’s coordinator, after he inspected streetlight facilities across the Kubwa Expressway and other key areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Obuah, who refrained from identifying the expatriate by name, described him as a “prominent foreign contractor” engaged in projects with the FCTA.
He explained that, while the blame for recent vandalism had largely been attributed to scavengers, evidence suggests involvement by high-level contractors.
“Today we discovered that high-level contractors are involved in sabotaging the efforts of the FCT Minister and AMMC to ensure streetlights are working in the capital city,” said Obuah.
“As I speak to you, one of the expatriates is in detention for vandalizing our streetlight poles.”
Obuah reported that a full briefing would be presented to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who had previously directed the AMMC to ensure that all streetlights within the capital city remain functional.
The council has contracted companies for the installation and maintenance of these lights but, according to Obuah, some contractors have failed to secure the installations adequately, leaving them vulnerable to tampering and theft, especially of valuable cables.
“I went to Kubwa Road, Jabi, Shehu Yar’adua Way, among other streets, and discovered that most of the streetlights, particularly in the Kubwa axis, have been vandalised,” he noted.
“We cannot continue to fix streetlights while miscreants and expatriates are busy sabotaging these efforts.”
To counter the issue, AMMC has engaged local hunters and vigilante groups to monitor and protect vulnerable installations.
Obuah emphasised that the council is committed to increased oversight, stating, “I will no longer sit down in the office. I will move with my team every night, every day, to make sure that we don’t allow these vandals to have their way.”
The AMMC’s intensified response follows significant restoration efforts, with lighting in areas like Jabi, Solomon Lar Street, and Umar Yar’adua Way already reinstated.
