The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has warned electricity vandals in Abuja to desist from such criminal acts.
Wike said that vandals who damaged and stole transmission cables, throwing the FCT into darkness, will learn their lesson.
The furious Minister, at a media chat on Sunday evening, said some suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime.
According to him, the arrested persons would not be charged with stealing but with economic sabotage.
The former Rivers State governor also said that the vandals are threatening the stability of the nation’s capital city and would be punished severely for the crime.
The Minister said the suspects won’t come out of the litigation until they are convicted of the crime.
“They vandalized, stole the cables, causing over 60% of Abuja to be dark. Sabotage! By the grace of God, the security agencies are on top of the matter. We’ve arrested some of them, and I can tell you: all of those involved will never come out of it, and people will learn lessons from it.
“We won’t charge you with stealing; we will charge you with economic sabotage. Enough is enough. Nobody will take this. Nobody who loves his country will accept what is going on,” Wike said.
He urged FCT residents to be involved in the policing of the nation’s capital by reporting suspicious activities.
DAILY POST reports that last Friday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, attributed the power outage in Abuja to the vandalism of its 132kV transmission line and underground cables.
Areas affected include Wuse, Utako, Jabi, Maitama, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Mabushi, and parts of the Presidential Villa, which houses President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.