Bayonle Jacob*, a parliamentary security officer, was on a routine patrol near the National Assembly annexe building at about 2 a.m. last February when he encountered a group of criminals stealing manhole covers.
They overpowered and stabbed him in his right arm. They tied his hands and legs with a rope before making away with several heavy manhole covers.
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Since the attack, Mr Jacob has avoided patrolling the area of the complex during dark hours.
“I didn’t know they were armed. I was trying to scold them, but one of them just moved towards me and stabbed me. They were about six and armed with weapons. I wanted to run away, but they tied me with rope. My colleagues rescued me in the morning after the thieves went away with the manhole covers.
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“Since that incident, I have always tried not to be on that side at midnight again. Yes, even some of our people have stayed away too,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
Manhole cover theft is rampant in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. The heavy iron covers designed to protect underground utilities are disappearing at an alarming rate. They are often stolen at night and sold to scrap metal dealers, especially when metal prices surge.
The consequences can be terrible. Open manholes have turned highways and pedestrian walkways into deadly traps, endangering the lives of motorists and passers-by.
To combat the threat, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has intensified its crackdown on syndicates involved in the illicit trade.
Since the beginning of the year, at least 53 suspects have been arrested. The police raids have also uncovered firearms and illicit substances. This suggests that the theft of manhole covers is not an isolated crime but part of a broader network of criminal activities.
Despite these efforts, manhole cover thieves continue to operate, even within the National Assembly complex, which should be one of the most secure buildings in the country.
Escape route
Mr Jacob said the robbery gang that attacked him drove a vehicle they parked outside the National Assembly gate.
“They came with a car parked outside the gate. I didn’t see the car, but I heard the sound of the ignition,” he stated.
The National Assembly is guarded by multiple security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Services (SSS), and the Sergeant-at-Arms, a parliamentary security unit.
Personnel of these security outfits are stationed at strategic locations across the premises. Yet, this has not deterred criminals from executing their operations.
PREMIUM TIMES’ findings revealed the increasing incidents of manhole cover thefts at the complex.
At least 10 manhole covers have been stolen from the main parking lot, and another 26 are missing along the road linking the annexe building to the “White House,” where the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives are located. Also, 10 manholes were uncovered along the road connecting the National Assembly Library to the “White House.”
Mr Jacob said he suspected that the same gang that attacked him was responsible for other missing manhole covers across the complex.
The Nigerian parliament is the heart of the country’s democracy, yet the security vulnerabilities of its building are apparent. If a crime like a manhole cover theft can be carried out repeatedly in the heart of Nigeria’s highest legislative institution, it raises concerns about the country’s overall security framework.
Other crimes at NASS
However, the security breaches at the National Assembly go beyond stolen manhole covers.
In August last year, Yusuf Gusau*, a worker at the federal parliament, was a victim of another security lapse when his car was stolen from the main parking lot.
Mr Gusau left his office around 4:20 p.m., only to return and find his car missing.
“It was a very bad day. I got to the park and could not find my car. I thought I parked at the wrong place, but I moved around before I finally believed that my car was stolen,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
Despite security officers reviewing CCTV footage, the perpetrator has yet to be arrested.
“The case was reported to the security unit. They checked on the CCTV, and one of them later told me that they saw a guy opening my car and that they would get him, but he has not been arrested,” Mr Gusau said.
Meanwhile, maintenance workers at the National Assembly have reported numerous thefts of valuable office items, including television sets, air conditioners, electrical cables, and wires.
Emmanuel Akpan*, a maintenance department worker, described the theft scale as high.
“I cannot count the number of theft cases we have seen so far; they are too numerous. As people who work in the maintenance department, we are always privileged to know about all these thefts, and some of the cases we have heard involved the theft of televisions, air conditioners, cables, and wires,” he said.
The police are ultimately responsible for Nigeria’s internal security, including in the NASS complex. The Abuja police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, did not respond to repeated calls and text messages to her phone for comment on our findings. Also, the Sergeant-at-Arms, whose sole responsibility is the security of the complex and the persons and materials inside it, refused to comment when approached. The designated official at the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Ndagi Mohammed, said he does not have answers to our questions.
History of security failures
This is not the first time criminals have exploited security weaknesses in Nigeria’s legislative complex. In 2018, thugs invaded the Senate chamber and stole the mace, which is the symbol of parliamentary authority. The assailants reportedly escaped the premises in a black SUV without facing any resistance. Although the mace was later found, the thieves were not caught.
The insecurity in the parliamentary building is a symptom of a larger menace, security expert Yahuza Getso told PREMIUM TIMES.
He warned that open manholes within the National Assembly compound pose physical dangers and create potential security loopholes that criminals can exploit.
Mr Getso, the managing director of the Abuja-based Eagle Integrated Security and Logistics Company Ltd, warned that criminals could use open manholes as hideouts or storage spaces for weapons before launching attacks.
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“The criminals can easily use it as a strategic way of carrying out their operations. When somebody falls into that hole, the person can easily be trapped. Criminals can also follow their targets, trying every possible means to force the person into one of the manholes, and at the same time, they can use it as a hideout.
“They can also use the manhole to hide their weapons so that when it is dark, they can easily take those weapons and other things to go and attack people, probably those close to the areas. That is how they rob people, especially those who normally close late,” he explained.
Mr Getso also warned that criminals can store confidential documents stolen from the National Assembly in open manholes.
“Loss of confidentiality, whereby sensitive documents or information may be stolen or compromised during the robbery, and can be stolen and kept in the manholes in the odd periods and to be transported out easily,” he stated.
He said the breach of security at the National Assembly to steal manhole covers portrayed a bad image for the nation and urged the government to address the issue quickly.
* The names of sources asterisked in this story have been altered to protect the persons from victimisation by their employers.
