•as Jos Disco warns residents on vandals targeting electric cables

The Bauchi State Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested 11 suspects for alleged criminal act of vandalism.

The arrested suspects were arrested for vandalizing electric cables, properties of the Jos Electric Distribution (JED), Plc which alerted its customers in Bauchi State over the persistent attacks on its electric cables, lamenting the loss, repairs and live losses within its franchise areas.

The disclosure was made by JED State Operating Officer, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar while speaking with journalists on the activities of vandals on the company’s assets.

Ibrahim Abubakar commended the security agencies for bringing the perpetrators to justice, saying that the company would deepen collaboration with the community to enlighten them on the security of the power cables and transformers.

He stressed that, “We urge the customers to play the role of security in their various communities. This act puts more financial burden on us as a company, it has economic loss to our customers as well and talking of the danger associated with vandalism, it cannot be measured,” he said.

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Speaking, Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakil said that the suspects were arrested from various areas in the State, adding that one of them was arrested after he personally reported a crime case in his apartment in Kirfi, but Police investigation linked him with cable vandalisation in the area.

According to him, “three suspects were nabbed while another receiver linked to the crime. The investigation is still ongoing, we shall charge them to court after our investigation.”

Also, NSCDC investigating officer, DSC Sani Ayuba said that seven suspects are currently facing trial for vandalisation of electricity cables from different parts of the state.

“We have one of the suspects who is currently receiving treatment after suffering electrocution. His skin was badly burnt. He was vandalising the electric transformer part before the spark,” he said.

One of the suspects, from Kirfi local government area of Bauchi, while answering questions from journalists at the Police Headquarters, stating that he is a blacksmith, admitted to have vandalised JED’s armoured cables as raw materials to make pots for sale.

According to him, “I was arrested in Bara for vandalising electric cables. I have not been into this kind of crime before. In fact, I regret going into it. I am a blacksmith, I used this as my raw materials to make pots.”

Another suspect, Hamza Muhammad, 17 years old motorcycle mechanic said that he went into the crime to feed because his current occupation could not cater for him. I regret this, I have brought shame to my family and the community.”

Asked whether he was not scared of electrocution, he said that he had committed the crime three times and was always targeting areas where there is power outage.

Another suspect, Al-Amin Ibrahim who identified himself as an aluminium cable buyer from the suspects, said that he is a blacksmith who purchases the aluminium scraps from scavengers per kilogram me. I buy the cable and alloy wheels per kg. They normally bring it to me for sale but I don’t steal.”