From busy highways to residential streets, exposed drainage systems have become recurring hazards, leaving residents vulnerable to injuries, especially at night and during heavy rainfall when floodwaters often conceal open pits, writes GIFT HABIB
What started as a weekend health walk in April along the Jabi–Berger route in Abuja nearly turned dangerous when a participant stepped into an uncovered manhole, bringing renewed attention to the persistent safety risks posed by exposed drainage systems across the Federal Capital Territory.
During the exercise, this reporter observed panic among participants after the woman, who was taking photographs during the walk, suddenly slipped into the uncovered manhole positioned along the pathway.
Other participants quickly rushed to assist her after one of her legs became trapped in the opening. She was later helped out and attended to by medical personnel accompanying the exercise.
Though she escaped without life-threatening injuries, the incident served as a chilling reminder of the dangers residents face daily across Abuja’s roads and pedestrian walkways.
Recurring danger
Manholes are underground access points used for drainage, sewage, and utility systems, typically covered with heavy metal or concrete lids. When left uncovered, they can become deep and dangerous pits capable of causing severe injuries or death.
Across the FCT, especially in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, uncovered manholes and broken drainage covers have become increasingly silent hazards on roads, walkways, and residential streets. What should serve as critical infrastructure for drainage and sewage management has, in several locations, turned into concealed traps for pedestrians and motorists alike.
Residents say the danger is often worsened at night or during rainfall, when visibility drops and floodwater conceals open drains. In such conditions, even familiar routes can become unpredictable and risky.
Some of the uncovered manholes across the capital are estimated to be as deep as four metres, with openings large enough to trap children or unsuspecting pedestrians.
Injury and near misses
A resident, Dominic Asher, recently shared his experience in a social media video, recounting how he sustained a broken leg after falling into an uncovered manhole in Jahi.
According to him, the problem is often linked to the theft of metal covers.
Asher described how the incident occurred suddenly and warned that nighttime pedestrians are particularly vulnerable to such risks.
The resident narrated, “Manhole covers are frequently stolen in parts of Abuja, especially in Jahi, leaving behind deep and dangerous openings.
“Last year, I suffered a broken leg after unknowingly falling into one of them. It happened so suddenly because I did not see the open manhole.
“Imagine what could happen to someone walking at night who accidentally steps into one.”
In Kubwa, within the Bwari Area Council, another resident, Ifeoma, described a near-miss incident while walking distracted by her phone.
“I was so scared and almost lost my balance. My phone slipped from my hand and fell into the uncovered manhole. It was a horrible experience,” she said, adding that a few days later, she noticed sticks had been placed around the hole as a warning sign.
James Kunle also shared a similar experience, recounting how a friend fell into an open manhole while they were rushing to catch a taxi around Wuse–Berger.
Kunle narrated, “I didn’t fall, but my friend did. We were running to catch a taxi around Wuse-Berger because it looked like it was about to rain.
“He was ahead of me, and I was right behind him. He didn’t notice an open manhole and fell into it. Luckily, it wasn’t deep, but he sustained a minor injury on his leg.”
Dangerous spots
Investigations and on-the-ground observations indicate that uncovered manholes can still be found in several high-traffic areas across Abuja.
Locations reported include Jabi, Utako, areas around Wuse, sections near the Ministry of Power, roads around the Transcorp Hilton axis, among others.
In some neighbourhoods, residents have resorted to improvised warnings such as tyres, wooden sticks, and makeshift barricades placed around exposed openings to alert passersby.
These measures offer temporary caution but also reflect long-standing infrastructure gaps that remain unresolved.
Engineering and maintenance gaps
A builder, Jerome Bemana, raised concerns over the condition and maintenance of highway drainage systems in Abuja.
Explaining how the drainage system is designed to function, Bemana described to The PUNCH the purpose of roadside manholes and underground channels.
Bemana explained, “The manholes on the highways in Abuja are actually meant to function as drainage. They are designed to handle runoff water from rainfall, mostly during the rainy season, so the roads do not get flooded or waterlogged.
“The water enters the system, there are pipes underneath, and it is carried away to a larger drainage network. That is what those manholes are for. When water flows, it carries dirt along into the manhole.”
He further explained the structure of the drainage covers and how they are intended to allow water passage while holding back larger debris.
“That is why the top is covered with iron grilles that serve as lids. They have perforated openings that allow water to pass through while retaining larger dirt on the surface,” the builder noted.
However, he said many of the drainage channels are now blocked due to poor maintenance and the accumulation of fine particles over time.
“But it has become something we now observe: most of those drains are blocked, either because there is no proper cleaning or because of accumulated sand and debris.
“Even small particles that pass through the perforations go inside and gradually block the system. At the end of the day, water can no longer pass through them, and you see flooding along certain sections of the road,” he stated.
Bemana also pointed to the theft of metal drainage covers and bridge components, which he said are often removed and sold for scrap.
He stated, “There is also the issue we have in Abuja where people go around removing these covers because they are heavy iron and can be sold for money. They take them away and sell them by weight, by kilo, and get paid for it.”
He added that the problem extends beyond drainage systems to other public infrastructure.
“If you check most roads, it is not just drainage covers. Even the handrails on some bridges in Abuja have disappeared because they have been removed by the same people,” the builder pointed out.
Despite these challenges, Bemana noted that some areas remain relatively unaffected due to better security and maintenance.
He noted, “In most parts of Abuja, those covers are still there because the area is relatively secure. But in many other places, they are gone. It is either due to blockage or theft.”
He warned that blocked drains and missing infrastructure continue to worsen flooding in the city, though he acknowledged that Abuja’s terrain helps reduce the severity in some areas.
He further stated, “When those covers are stolen, everything can fall through, and the drains become blocked. That is one of the major challenges.
“Water no longer flows through properly and instead runs along the roadside until it finds an outlet. However, because of Abuja’s topography, the roads are not flat. They are either sloped or hilly in different areas, which helps in some cases.”
Vandalism, scrap metal trade
Authorities have repeatedly linked the problem to vandalism and the illegal scrap metal trade. Manhole covers, typically made of heavy metal, are often stolen and sold to scrap dealers and smelting operators.
In 2025, the FCT Police Command announced the recovery of 125 stolen manhole covers during a coordinated operation involving security agencies. Officials said the items were traced to a concealed location used by suspected vandals.
That same year, the Federal Capital Territory Administration shut down an iron smelting facility along the Abuja–Kaduna Expressway over allegations of purchasing stolen infrastructure materials, including manhole covers removed from public roads.
Accountability
The recurring incidents have raised concerns over public safety, infrastructure protection and enforcement failures within the capital city.
Residents continue to question why dangerous openings remain exposed for prolonged periods without replacement or barricades.
NSCDC responds
Responding to concerns over rising incidents of vandalism and uncovered manholes, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, FCT Command, said the situation has been widely misunderstood.
The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, told The PUNCH that many of the uncovered manholes seen across Abuja are not newly vandalised but previously damaged sites awaiting replacement by the FCT Administration.
According to Odumosu, rehabilitation efforts are ongoing across the city.
“What people are seeing around the metropolis and residential districts are mostly previously vandalised manholes.
“The FCT Administration through the Facility Maintenance Department is making frantic efforts to replace them, and that process is ongoing,” he assured.
The commandant added that improved surveillance and the use of replacement materials with little or no scrap value have contributed to a decline in vandalism cases.
The commandant confirmed, “I can confirm that the rate of vandalism of manhole covers within the FCT has seriously reduced. Government is now using replacement materials that have no economic value to vandals,” he said.
Odumosu also acknowledged the safety risks posed by exposed openings, noting that both pedestrians and motorists remain vulnerable to accidents.
The commandant said the NSCDC has intensified 24-hour patrols and surveillance operations, “including undercover deployments” aimed at preventing theft and apprehending suspects.
He further disclosed that the agency works closely with relevant FCT authorities through joint monitoring, intelligence sharing, and periodic enforcement actions.
Recovered items, he said, are secured and handed over for proper evacuation and reinstallation.
However, efforts to obtain further official comments were unsuccessful. The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Kate Ogbonna, declined to comment, stating she was not authorised to speak on the matter.
Negotiating safety
Despite enforcement efforts and ongoing repairs, uncovered manholes remain a visible and persistent feature in parts of Abuja’s urban landscape.
For residents, they represent more than infrastructural decay. They are unpredictable hazards embedded in daily movement across the city.
As Abuja continues to expand, the challenge remains not only fixing what is broken, but ensuring that what is already known to be dangerous does not remain exposed long enough to claim the next victim.
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