Pix: Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, CG, NSCDC

The special intelligence squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 17 suspects for vandalisation of telecom infrastructure in Yobe State.\xa0

The squad was established by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, to ensure that critical infrastructure are protected across the country.

The 17 suspects were nabbed by operatives of the Corps for their involvement in vandalism of Electrical power Installations, and Telecommunications Masts in Yobe.

The Commandant of the Squad, Appolos Dandaura, said: “We raided 3 separate warehouses in Damaturu, Yobe State as we earlier gathered intelligence that there were storage Bases for vandalised Telecom Masts, Power Transmission and Rail track gadgets within the crime scene”.

“The clearance operation which took hours led to the uncovering of 3 warehouses located at Pilgrim Nassarawa bye pass in Damaturu, another one at Dujiya behind new market while the 3rd warehouse was uncovered at Abari bypass also in Damaturu.

“We have deployed a manhunt team to trail the kingpin named Aliyu Ajakuta who is also known as Chairman, Scrab Dealers Association in the area,” Dandaura said.

He gave the names of the suspects as Umar Saiadu (M) Mohammed Salisu (M), Ali Adam (M), Ibrahim Mohammed (M), Mohammed Musa (M) Abdulhamid Mohammed (M), Hassan Dauda (M), Alhassan Yakubu (M), Mohammed Babagana (M), Mohammed Bashiru, abd Mohammed Bello (M).

Others are Adamu Abdullahi Usman (M) Mustapha Babagana (M), Tijani Bako (M), Bashiru Adam (M), and Lawal Salisu (M).

At the scene of the crime, exhibits were recovered include: Telecom Mast, Base Transceiver station (BTS), Cabinet Metal bags of armoured cable, large quantities of Rail Track Slippers, large quantities of Solar panels, batteries; Warepipes.