Residents of Eneka Community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, have raised concern over the vandalization and theft of manhole covers in the area.
They called on the local government chairman, Dr. Gift Worlu, community leaders and vigilante to put up measures that would aid the apprehension of the perpetrators, expressing worry over the dangers posed by unprotected manholes.
The residents and student stressed the need for the immediate intervention of the LGA chairman to cover the manholes to avert loss of lives, especially for school children who ply the area in their thousands to school.
Speaking with TPCN on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Mr. Paul Nwachukwu explained that, “this thing is very dangerous and risky. They are not supposed to be told before they cover it. Everything is not government. This community has CDC, youth leaders, they can call the attention of the local government chairman to cover this thing because for it to be open like this is very dangerous and risky.
“There are several schools along this road. Government Secondary School Eneka students pass here, Community primary school 1 and 2, Confidence, Harmony, name them, we have more than 50 schools on this road, more than 50, their children take this road, so if government refuse because of the students, they can approach the schools so this can be fixed.”
Nwachukwu lamented that “if anybody falls inside here it will take the grace of God for that person to come out alive. Apart from human beings, somebody’s phone can also fall inside. Please, we are begging government, school owners, community CDC, those leading us, they should quickly do something about this, the earlier, the better.”
Also speaking, a student of GSS Eneka, Shalom Dede described the state of the manholes as worrisome, risky and threat to the lives of passersby.
He urged government to intervene to avoid loss of lives in the unprotected manholes, even as he emphasized the need for community leaders to be responsible to ensure that manhole vandalism and theft to put to stop.
He noted that it was unwise to overlook the unprotected state of the manholes. “For me, this is putting the lives of people living here in jeopardy, this is not good.”
Further, Elder Manuye Azubuike urged the leaders of the community to arrest patronizers of manhole cover thieves. He also called on the youth body to “search some dumpsites, where most of these Aboki stays, you will be shocked to discover that what we are looking for and those doing these things are living with us.
“It is so sad that manhole covers along Igwuruta-Eneka-Rumuokwurushi road have been stolen by Mr nobody. We have to protect these things, government will not provide and also protect them for us.”
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