NSCDC Arrests 17 Telecom Infrastructure Vandals in Yobe
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended 17 individuals involved in the vandalization of telecom infrastructure in Yobe State.
The arrests were made by the NSCDC’s special intelligence squad, a unit established by Commandant General Dr. Ahmed Audi to safeguard critical national infrastructure. The suspects were allegedly responsible for damaging electrical power installations and telecommunications masts in the region.
Speaking on the operation, the squad’s commandant, Appolos Dandaura, stated:
“We raided three separate warehouses in Damaturu, Yobe State, as we earlier gathered intelligence that there were storage bases for vandalized telecom masts, power transmission and rail track gadgets within the crime scene.”
The raid, which took hours, uncovered three warehouses at Pilgrim Nassarawa Bypass, Dujiya behind New Market and Abari Bypass, all in Damaturu.
Dandaura further revealed that a manhunt has been launched for the suspected kingpin, Aliyu Ajakuta, also known as the Chairman of the Scrap Dealers Association in the area.
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The arrested suspects include Umar Saiadu, Mohammed Salisu, Ali Adam, Ibrahim Mohammed, Mohammed Musa, Abdulhamid Mohammed, Hassan Dauda, Alhassan Yakubu, Mohammed Babagana, Mohammed Bashiru, and Mohammed Bello. Others are Adamu Abdullahi Usman, Mustapha Babagana, Tijani Bako, Bashiru Adam and Lawal Salisu.
Recovered exhibits from the crime scene included telecom masts, base transceiver station (BTS) components, cabinet metal, armoured cables, rail track slippers, solar panels, batteries and wire pipes.
Authorities are intensifying efforts to crack down on vandalism and ensure the protection of vital infrastructure across Nigeria.
