ABUJA, Nigeria: Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Police Command recovered vandalised public infrastructure and dismantled an illegal diplomatic number plate production network in Abuja on Friday, July 31, 2026.
Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, announced the material recoveries and arrests during a press briefing at the command headquarters. Okay News reports that the police apprehended five suspects identified as Godwin Aja, Mustapha Nasiru, Ibrahim Garba, Abdulrasheed Sale, and Dabarani Mujitafa following intelligence operations across Maitama, Garki, Durumi, Jabi, Apo Legislative Quarters, Lugbe, and Nyanya.
The recovered infrastructure included drainage covers, solar-powered street lights, armoured electricity cables, and internet communication wires. “The removal of drainage covers, solar street lights, armoured cables used for the transmission of high-voltage electricity and internet communication cables worth millions of naira by a few unscrupulous individuals for personal gain has directly contributed to road traffic accidents, injuries to pedestrians, increased incidents of street crime in areas plunged into darkness and the disruption of electricity supply to entire communities through the theft of high-tension power cables,” Sanusi said.
Investigators seized over 80 fake diplomatic and government number plates, which suspects purchased for amounts ranging from N500,000 ($312) to N1.7 million ($1,062) to evade security checkpoints. “The suspects from whom these plate numbers were recovered are currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation,” Sanusi said.
The manufacturers of the counterfeit plates are operating outside the capital city and have been identified by investigators. “We are on their trail. We’ve gotten their identities. That’s why we are not displaying our suspects regarding this so that they will not know that we are coming after them,” Sanusi said. The recovered infrastructure will be handed over to the Federal Capital Territory Administration for reinstallation.
