By 
Tayo AFOLABI
Not less than five suspects have been arrested for alleged cable vandalism and phone snatching in Katsina state.
The Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) made the arrest recently.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSC Mohammed Abdara, paraded the suspects on Wednesday in Katsina.
Abdara said that three out of the suspects: Kabir Junaidu, Mohammed Hamza, and Yahaya Yunusan, all residents of Gidan Mai-Unguwa village of Dabai in Danja Local Government Area (LGA) were arrested for vandalising a transformer cable.
He added that the other two: Sama’ila Namadi and Nura Abdulaziz, suspected to be phone snatchers, were residents of Filin pipes in Katsina Metropolis.
“The suspects were arrested on July 12, 2022 by a combined team of NSCDC personnel, vigilantes and community security committee members while attempting to vandalise an electricity transformer at Filin shooting, along Kahutu Road in Dabai.
“Junaidu, who is the prime suspect, was arrested for cutting the electricity dropper cable. He confessed to the offence and also mentioned two other suspects.’’
According to Junaidu, the two other suspects were supposed to be with him to commit the crime.
“They decided not to participate in the vandalism, but assisted him with a saw blade to execute his mission.
“Both of them confessed to have committed the same crime at the same transformer spot in 2021, from where they stole 13 kilogrammes of cable which they sold for N39, 000 in Lokoja, Kogi.
“Presently, we are liaising with our colleagues in Lokoja to trace and arrest the buyer, one Alkasim, alias ‘Sai Oga,” Abdara said.
He said that the suspects were accused of engaging in various criminal activities in the area.
Abdara said that arrangements had been completed to charge them to court.
The Command’s spokesperson also explained that the two phone snatchers had been charged to court.
He, however, said that the court returned them to the NSCDC for it to carry out further investigation.
According to Abdara, the command will not relent in its efforts toward fighting criminals and criminalities in the state.
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