The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) FCT Command has paraded 11 suspects who were arrested and charged with illegal mining, vandalism, and scavenging in different parts of the territory.
NSCDC FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, who paraded the suspects at the FCT Command Headquarters, Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja, reaffirmed his commitment to rooting out vandals and other criminals in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Public Relations Officer of the Corps, FCT Command, Comfort Okomanyi, said in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday that the arrests are part of ongoing efforts to ensure peace, combat the spate of crime, and safeguard all critical assets and infrastructure under the new FCT administration.
Speaking further, the Commandant, Odumosu, said, “Let me state unequivocally that the protection of all critical national assets and infrastructure in the FCT is not negotiable.
“As the lead agency charged with this responsibility under the law, we will relentlessly discharge our duties without compromise.
“Based on this resolve, the Command has arrested these 11 suspects, out of whom 5 are suspected illegal miners, 4 are suspected vandals of public assets and infrastructure, and 2 are suspected scavengers.
“Upon spotting our team, many of them attempted to flee, but this effort will be sustained with more reinforcements to eliminate their presence in that location,” Odumosu said.
He added that the suspected illegal miners were apprehended by the Mines and Steel Development unit of the Command after a tip-off for engaging in illegal excavation activities that have led to the vandalism and destruction of critical infrastructure such as transmission cables and transformers and the degradation of a part of Katampe Extension, where they were picked up.
He further stated that during a search operation conducted in their huts, five cartons of tiles were discovered, as well as an item suspected to be a used explosive bottle, which will be further investigated.
The suspects arrested for illegal mining activities are as follows: Abubakar Suleman, 43 years old (M), from Kastina State; Sanusi Abubakar, 21 years old (M), from Kano State; Abdullahi Musa, 18 years old (M), from Kano State; Adamu Hashiru, 31 years old (M), from Bauchi State; and Ibrahim Abdullahi, 30 years old (M), from Bauchi State.
Other suspects arrested for vandalism of government infrastructure and scavenging are: Ayu Isimailu (M), 25 years old, from Gombe State; Michael Joseph (M), 30 years old, from Kaduna State; Solomon Leo (M), 40 years old, from Kaduna State; Aliyu Shamsudeen (M), 18 years old, from Plateau State; Kashim Mustapha (M), 45 years old, from Oyo State; and Onyeishi Monday (M), 43 years old, from Delta State.
“We have commenced thorough investigations to unravel their level of involvement in the charged offences.
“Rest assured that those found culpable will be prosecuted, and if otherwise, they will be released after due diligence is observed and in accordance with the extant laws,” he explained.
Odumosu reassured FCT residents of continuous collaboration with other security agencies and solicited consistent information and actionable intelligence from the public in order to rid the FCT of unscrupulous elements sabotaging the government’s efforts.
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