The Interview Editors
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) has disclosed that no fewer than 174 vehicles, 3,432 motorcycles and 43 tricycles were carted away at its Auto Pond in Gosa area by hoodlums during the recent EndSARS protest.
Director of the services, Alhaji Wadata Bodinga, made the disclosure when the FCT Ministerial Committee on Assessment of Losses caused by #EndSARS Unrest’ visited the Pond on Tuesday in Abuja.
Bodinga explained that hoodlums operated unchallenged for about three days and in the end also vandalised offices in the premises, stole the electricity transformer and looted about 40 solar panels.
“We had over 3,432 motorcycles and not one of them was spared, not even a bolt was left because everything was completely looted.
“We had about 174 vehicles and even the offices were vandalised, including the roof which were removed.
“About 40 poles of solar have equally been removed; the observation post was vandalised. Anything metal, whether alloy or non-alloy were removed.
“The fence was pulled down and the rods removed. About 43 Keke NAPEP were stolen. The transformer supplying the place electricity was also taken away.
“We have evaluated the items. Like the motorcycles, we placed a value or N26, 000 on each and even at that value, you have money running into over N800 million.
“And the value of the vehicles is about N76 million. So, in all, what has been looted here is over N1 billion”.
On his part, Mr. Odun Emasealu, Chairman FCT, Nasarawa and Niger States Branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said billions of Naira investments have been looted by hoodlums at Idu Industrial layout.
“We have gone round and the industrial equipment looted are very expensive. They raided the buildings and vandalised equipment.
“About 15 to 20 factories were affected. They took away windows, doors and other things including toilet seats and bathtubs, all running into billions.
“They have rendered these factories totally incapacitated and in fact, the owners need to reinvest to get some of them back up again.
“We just hope that these people will not be demoralised, that they will have the faith to come up again,” said Emasealu.
Similarly, in Kuje Area Council, the Central Store which contained medical supplies and other non-medical assets was also looted.
The council’s ICT Centre and Library was raided with 20 desktop computers, eight standing fans and eight Air Conditioning systems and 13 inverter batteries stolen.
The hoodlums also invaded the offices of the FCT Fire Service and the Federal Road Safety Corps within the library premises where they carted away office equipment and stationeries.
The Women Centre in Jiwa was looted bare and the assessment team was welcomed into the premises by a pungent stench of human faeces.
The team also visited the palaces of the Gomo of Kuje and the Sarkin Jiwa to commiserate with them on the losses.
Responding, the Emir of Jiwa, Dr Idris Musa, alleged that most of the hoodlums who invaded the territory came from the far North and even Niger Republic.
He urged the committee to monitor scrap collectors in the territory, alleging that some of them also participated in the looting.
Chairman of the committee and Director-General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, said his team would do a meticulous job and present its findings to the authority.
“Honestly, the level of devastation is much. If you look at what we saw in Jiwa, Gwagwa, Kuje and Gosa area, you will know that billions of Naira have been lost in this circumstances.
“When you come to Idu Industrial Layout, many factories were invaded and it is just beyond anyone’s imagination,” Idriss said.
(NAN)
