The Plateau Municipal Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PLAMWASSA) has confirmed the arrest of four suspected thieves in connection with the burglary of its Business Office in the GRA area of Shendam Local Government Area, where an office safe was stolen.
The agency described the incident as another attack on critical public infrastructure, warning that repeated acts of theft and vandalism continue to undermine investments in the state’s water sector and disrupt service delivery.
In a statement issued yesterday, PLAMWASSA said staff members discovered the theft upon resuming work and immediately alerted security operatives, who launched an investigation into the incident.
According to the agency, the burglary occurred in the early hours of Saturday, July 11, 2026, while three suspects identified as Gakji, Shalmi and Anguan Wagtong were arrested the following day.
It added that a fourth suspect, Ali, popularly known as “Baban Bola,” was later apprehended as investigations progressed.
PLAMWASSA said efforts were ongoing to recover the stolen safe and unravel the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The agency noted that the latest theft adds to a series of attacks on its facilities in recent years, recalling that vandals previously stole two 200KVA step-down transformers from its Raw Water Intake Site and vandalised a 500KVA transformer at the Shendam Water Treatment Plant. It said no arrests were made in connection with those incidents.
According to the agency, persistent attacks on water infrastructure pose a major threat to public investment and hinder efforts to provide safe, reliable and sustainable water supply to communities across Plateau State.
PLAMWASSA appealed to residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around water facilities, while calling for stronger security measures to protect critical infrastructure and safeguard public assets.