9th May, 2017
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested three suspects for allegedly vandalising, stealing and selling armored cables belonging to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
Mr Patric Ukpan, the Commandant of NSCDC, FCT Division, said on Tuesday in Abuja that two of the suspects were arrested in Kwali Area Council, while one was arrested in Deidei area of Abuja.
“We have in our custody, three suspected vandals of AEDC equipment; these are suspects that we have been monitoring because we have observed that these vandals have taken their activities to the satellite towns, within FCT.
“So based on the surveillance activity which we embarked upon, we were able to arrest two of the suspects from the Kwalli Area Council; then, the third one was arrested somewhere around Deidei .
“So The offence which they committed is that they went there to vandalise these transformer cables, the amored cables and other accessories that are used to transmit electricity; that is why they are here.“
He said the parading of the suspect was to send signals to their other collaborators that there was no hiding place for vandals in the FCT and its environs.
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Ukpan said that officials of NSCDC were involved in constant surveillance of critical assets of government .
He said it was important for intending vandals and criminal elements to desist from their nefarious acts 0n critical assets of government.
He said that NSCDC was mounting surveillance with the intent to trail suspected buyers of the vandalised cables .
Ukpan said that investigation was ongoing, noting that the suspects would be charged to court after detailed investigation.
Reacting to their arrest, one of the suspects said he was only contacted by one of them to receive and sell the items.
He said denied involvement in vandalism.
The Head of Corporate Communication of AEDC, FCT South, Mrs Patience Toyo, said that vandalism impacted negatively on the supply of electricity to its customers.
According to her, the act could result in the non provision of electricity for a community over a long period.
She said that vandalism had caused a lot of losses for the company.
“It means a lot of losses, so it is expected that the vandals should take note that they are destroying the company’s investment by so doing.“
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According to her, the penalty for vandalism attracts a maximum of 21 years imprisonment.
Toyo said that AEDC had been involved in series of public campaign to discourage vandalism and theft of electrical materials.
She urged members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspected act of vandalism around electrical installations to the security agents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items in possession of the suspects include armored cables, cutters, pliers and saw blades.