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By Sola Rotimi
Five suspected vandals have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Kwara State Command, for allegedly stealing transformer and streetlight cables in Ilorin, the state capital.
The suspects, Samson Akintola, 21; Muhammed Zakariya, 19; Mohammed Monsur, 20; Ibrahim Hamida, 19; and Kabir Abubakar, 24, were apprehended around 1a.m. on Saturday at Tanke Area during a joint operation involving personnel of the Tanke Division and the Tanke Community Vigilante Group, Ilorin South.
According to the Corps, the suspects were caught with vandalized electrical cables believed to have been removed from installations around Asa Dam and Sapati areas of Ilorin.
Items recovered from them include transformer cables, streetlight cables, and burnt copper wires.
The NSCDC said preliminary investigations point to a case of willful vandalism and theft of public infrastructure, contrary to Section 1(9) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
According to the Command’s spokesman, Michael Ayoola, the suspects, who are currently in custody, will be charged to court upon completion of investigations, while the Corps continues efforts to arrest other accomplices.
Reacting to the development, the State Commandant, Dr Umar Mohammed, reiterated the agency’s resolve to protect critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.
He warned individuals against the criminal act, stressing that the Corps would ensure offenders face the full wrath of the law.
