The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, has apprehended five suspected vandals for allegedly stealing transformer and streetlight cables in Ilorin, the state capital.
By Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, has apprehended five suspected vandals for allegedly stealing transformer and streetlight cables in Ilorin, the state capital.
The suspects — Samson Akintola (21), Muhammed Zakariya (19), Mohammed Monsur (20), Ibrahim Hamida (19), and Kabir Abubakar (24) — were arrested around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2025, during a joint operation by personnel of the NSCDC Tanke Division and members of the Tanke Community Vigilante Group (VGN).
According to the Command’s spokesperson, the suspects were intercepted at Tanke, Ilorin, with vandalized transformer and streetlight cables suspected to have been stolen from the Asa Dam and Sapati areas of the metropolis.
Recovered items include vandalized transformer cables, streetlight cables, and burnt copper wires.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were involved in the willful vandalization and theft of public electrical installations, contrary to Section 1(9) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The suspects are currently in NSCDC custody and will be charged to court upon completion of investigations. Efforts are also underway to track down other accomplices connected to the crime.
Speaking on the arrest, the State Commandant, Dr. Umar J. G. Mohammed, reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical national assets and infrastructure (CNAI) across Kwara State.
He warned individuals and groups against acts of vandalism, stressing that the Command would not relent in enforcing the law and ensuring that perpetrators face justice.
“The NSCDC will continue to protect public utilities and ensure that those sabotaging our national assets are made to face the full weight of the law,” the Commandant stated.
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