The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Federal Capital Territory Command on Friday paraded 36 scavengers arrested across Abuja for alleged involvement in criminal activities, including vandalism, and theft of public infrastructure.
Addressing journalists, the FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended in various parts of the city centre and suburbs as part of an ongoing crackdown on scavengers, locally known as Baba Nbola.
The arrests followed directives from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to ban scavenging in the territory and suspend commercial activities in Pantaker Markets for two weeks.
“These individuals were arrested for engaging in criminal acts under the guise of scavenging.
“They vandalise manhole covers, streetlights, solar panels, and other public infrastructure to sell as scrap, causing significant damage to the city’s infrastructure,” he stated.
The Commandant revealed that the suspects were also linked to robbery, theft of household items, and other criminal activities.
Recovered items included four daggers, three jack knives, chisels, iron rods, narcotic substances, codeine syrup, and wraps of cannabis.
Odumosu added that investigations showed that some scavengers act as informants for armed robbers, kidnappers, and other criminal gangs.
“The most vital is that many of them work as informants for armed robbers, kidnappers, hired assassins, terrorists, bandits, and all sorts of criminal gangs. Many families have fallen victim to kidnapping, abduction for ransom, murder, assassination, and the like because they give information about your family, the number of children you have, the types of cars you drive, where you work and by extension, keeping tabs on your movement.
“They also assess and profile you through the kind of household waste products you dispose of, which in most cases reveals your status and lifestyles.
“Unfortunately, and in most cases, many of us perceive these miscreants and criminals as ordinary innocent, poor Nigerians, hustling for their daily bread so they move about unchecked and unquestioned by anyone, some of us even sympathize with them, by extending alms to them, whereas, they are responsible for the various crimes happening around you,” he explained.
The Commandant urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious activities.
He reiterated the FCT Administration’s zero-tolerance stance on scavenging in the city and warned that any violators would face prosecution.
“Let me reiterate that the activities of scavengers otherwise known as Baba Nbola have been banned in the city center and the suburbs both during the day and at night. They have been restricted to the various dump sites where all the household refuse they wander around for are deposited by the waste management authority.
“The public is hereby advised to dispose of their refuse properly and stop patronizing the Baba Nbolas for the sake of their own safety and that of their family members.
“They can also do well by giving us relevant information about any suspicious movements or activities of these criminal scavengers which have been restricted to the various dump sites alone,” he advised.
Odumosu pledged continued efforts to rid Abuja of criminal elements and restore safety and order in the FCT.
The suspects are currently being profiled and investigated, and the command assured that due process would be followed in their prosecution.