The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Tactical Squad has detained 16 people in various operations throughout the Federal Capital Territory for offences ranging from theft and vandalism to illicit mining.
The Critical National Assets and Infrastructure unit of the FCT Command, which has been performing round-the-clock surveillance to protect public infrastructure, made the arrests.
Monica Ojobi, the NSCDC FCT Command’s acting public relations officer, announced the arrest in a statement on Friday.
The command claims that the suspects were caught while trying to steal telecommunications equipment, galvanised pipes, armoured cables, and other domestic items during late-night operations.
Three suspects — Mubarak Barau (29), John Yakubu (24), and Shamsudeen Usman (25) — were arrested in the Central Area with stolen items from the National Agricultural Development Fund.
Recovered items included eight rolls of armoured cables, an LG outdoor air conditioner, a sound speaker, two plastic chairs, two bags of electrical cables, a travelling bag containing clothes, and a saw.
The statement further stated that at Brains and Hammers Estate in Apo Dutse, near ShopRite, three more suspects — Danjuma Jerome (25), Maah Ishiaka (28), and Shefiu Muktar (30) — were arrested for the theft of 16mm electrical wires and criminal conspiracy.
In Jahi District, four suspects — Stephen Istifanus (43), Yakubu Thankgod (25), Danladi Samson (29), and Barnabas Sobok (37) — were apprehended for vandalism and the theft of galvanised pipes.
Elsewhere in Kallada by Cocoa, Idu, 43-year-old Saidu Shuibu was arrested for illegal mining activities.
Five other individuals — Phahat Abba (20), Usman Adama (24), Ali Shefiu (33), Adamu Shuibu (20), and Yakubu Abubakar (21) — were arrested at Kukwaba, Idu, for illegal mining and sand dredging.
Items recovered included black armoured cables, three shovels, seven diggers, a knife, pincers, two pinches, transformer fuses, a ring boiler, and electrical cables.
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Commenting on the arrests, the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Olusola Odumosu, reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical infrastructure in the capital.
“These assets are not for aesthetics, they are essential to make life more meaningful for the residents of the FCT. We must ensure their protection; that is why we are here,” Odumosu stated.
