The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two men over the alleged theft, vandalisation and unlawful removal of electrical materials belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Kwara State, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against economic sabotage.
The suspects, Ishaq Kazeem, 43, and Abubakar Jubril, 41, were arrested on July 10 during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Kwara State Command’s Intelligence Crack Squad.
Speaking at the Command headquarters in Ilorin, the Kwara State Commandant, Abbas Mohammed, said the suspects were intercepted at a mechanic workshop in the Zango area near Oke-Andi Junction after Bravo Filling Station while allegedly dismantling electrical equipment suspected to have been stolen from the TCN.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the brand-new electrical materials were unlawfully removed from the TCN Regional Store in Jebba before being transported to Ilorin for destruction and eventual sale as scrap.
Mohammed said security operatives acted on credible intelligence and caught the suspects allegedly using a grinding machine and a sledgehammer to dismantle the electrical equipment.
Recovered exhibits include two trucks, heavy-duty electrical insulation materials, metal conductor poles, iron bars, a generator, grinding machine, sledgehammer, suspected burnt copper rod and other electrical components believed to belong to the government.
The commandant warned that the Command would sustain its offensive against vandals and economic saboteurs, insisting that anyone found sabotaging critical national assets would be arrested and prosecuted.
He added that investigations have been expanded to identify other members of the suspected syndicate, assuring that all those connected with the alleged crime would be brought to justice.
The latest arrests come as security agencies intensify efforts to protect Nigeria’s power infrastructure from recurring acts of vandalism, which continue to affect electricity transmission and public investment in the sector.
