By Kazeem Waris
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has arrested two suspected members of a cable vandalism syndicate accused of targeting high-tension electricity cables belonging to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Kwali Area Council.
The arrests followed an intelligence report from local vigilante members who alerted security operatives to suspicious activities in the area, prompting the Anti-Vandal Unit of the NSCDC’s Kwali Division to move in.
The suspects, identified as 40-year-old Mustapha Yusuf from Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and 50-year-old Usman Mohammed, a driver from Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, were reportedly found with four rolls of high-tension electrical cables.
Preliminary investigations allegedly linked the men to repeated cable thefts, with one of the suspects identifying a suspected ringleader, known as Titus, who is currently at large.
Suspects implicate alleged syndicate members
According to the FCT NSCDC Command, Yusuf allegedly admitted during preliminary interrogation that he belonged to a three-man syndicate and had participated in cable vandalism on three previous occasions.
He reportedly told investigators that the stolen cables were intended for sale to a buyer in Gwagwalada, adding that his alleged boss paid him between N4,000 and N5,000 for each successful operation.
Mohammed, the second suspect, reportedly disclosed that he was apprehended during his fourth attempt and admitted selling stolen cables for N50,000 per operation.
He also allegedly implicated a security officer serving in Gwagwalada, who he claimed provided cover for the group’s activities.
The allegations against the suspects and the individuals they reportedly implicated have not been independently verified. The investigation is expected to establish their respective roles and determine whether other people were involved.
Further findings by the Corps indicated that the suspected syndicate operated within and outside the FCT, allegedly under the leadership of Titus, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Odumosu orders manhunt for fleeing kingpin
Reacting to the arrests, FCT NSCDC Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, commended the operatives and local vigilante members for their prompt response, describing the destruction of critical electricity infrastructure as a serious act of economic sabotage.
The Command said the vandalism had plunged residents of Kwali Area Council into total darkness, highlighting the impact of attacks on electricity infrastructure on communities and essential services.
Odumosu reiterated the Corps’ zero-tolerance stance towards the destruction of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, directing intelligence officers to intensify efforts to track down Titus and other suspected accomplices still at large.
He assured residents that the Corps would pursue those found culpable in accordance with the law.
Residents urged to provide intelligence
The commandant also appealed to residents across the FCT to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities, particularly the theft and destruction of public infrastructure.
The NSCDC said cooperation between security operatives and local vigilante groups remained crucial to preventing further attacks on electricity installations and bringing suspected vandals to justice.
The Corps is expected to continue investigations into the alleged syndicate, including the intended buyers of the recovered cables and the identities of other individuals suspected of facilitating the operations.
The two arrested men remain suspects, and the allegations against them are subject to further investigation and due process.
