Bauchi State Police Command has arrested 11 suspects for allegedly stealing two GBW 10KVA power generators belonging to the National Public Security Communication System worth millions of Naira.
While parading the suspects before newsmen at Police Command headquarters on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Kamal Datti Abubabakar, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended following a tip-off by members of the public living around the area of the operation near Alkakeri along Bauchi-Gombe road.
He said: “On the 16th January 2019, at about 1 pm, following a tip-off, Operatives attached to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of the Command got information about the operation and acted swiftly and in the process intercepted the 11 suspects at the scene of the operation.”
Kamal Abubakar added that: “The suspects were promptly arrested found to be in possession of two GBW 10KVA power generators vandalised at two sites of the National Public Security Communication System (NPSCS) project in Alkaleri LGA, along Gombe road of Bauchi State.”
He added that their action has sabotaged the Federal Government efforts of equipping the Police and other security agencies with modern security gadgets to enable them to perform their duties of protection of lives and property of its citizen’s efficiently.
“The suspects are on the wanted list of the Command in connection with vandalization and theft of some telecommunication sites belonging to both government and private companies in Bauchi State and neighbouring states of Gombe and Yobe,” he added.
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He said the gang leader, Fidelis Ewona, and 10 others including four drivers have been arrested and gave their names as Alhaji DanGombe, Yusuf Ahmed, Lawan Ahmed, Mohammed Yusuf Yellow (Driver), Musasaddam Sabo Keke Ibrahim Garba (Driver), Mohammed Zakariya, all of Muda Lawal Market in Bauchi.
Others, according to him, are Mohammed Mals Yusuf (Engr), Okasha Umar (Driver) of Yankari Workshop and Abdullahi Adamu (Driver) of Kofar Ran Market.
The Police Spokesman said that the suspects have voluntarily confessed to the crime and are giving useful information to the Police in the process of investigations adding that they will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed.
He then disclosed that some of the items recovered from the suspects are a crane loaded with the exhibits with Reg no NM 200 LSR and a J5 truck with reg no BAU 548 CA.
While answering questions from Journalists, the gang leader, Fidelis Ewona, who said that he is a retired Police Officer and admitted to the crime saying that, “I have realized that what I did was wrong.”
Fidelis Ewona said that: “I retired as an officer of the Nigeria Police Force. I was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) before my retirement in 2011 and I worked with the Chinese company ZTE before leaving them in 2013.”
Asked what he wanted to do with the items, he said that he planned to dispose of them in order make ends meet considering the economic situation of the country.