The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara paraded 26 men on Thursday who used to pose as scavengers to steal. 

The Kwara EFCC commandant, Iskil Makinde, told reporters that they had been monitoring the scavengers since they received information about their illegal act of stealing during scavenging.

He said that his officers arrested the 26 men for stealing different electronics, wires, motorcycles, and kitchen equipment, in the process of scavenging metals.

The commandant said that their leader, who is from Kebbi State and had been living in Kwara for the past seven years, invited some others from Bode-Sadu and from other states to join him.

“We will continue our 24-hour surveillance to ensure that we provide adequate security for the state, and the officers of the command will continue their work efficiently.

“We invited the trailer drivers association to our office three weeks ago and discussed some of the problems the state is going through, in respect of those scavenging for mines and steel.

“We discussed many things, especially the act of stealing by their boys in the process of scavenging, which we feel, were unknown to their bosses.

“And we also urged the communities where such act happens to be on the lookout and report any of such acts,” Mr Makinde said.

He added that community policing is an apparatus to bring security closer to the community and so the command had decided to collaborate with other security agencies and plan to inculcate the vigilante groups.

“We are seeking the deployment of more officers to Kwara, to occupy our office outlets.

“We often send some of our undercover agents to some of the communities to gather information and to make arrests in the case that anything happens.

“We also do some sensitisation talks on radio stations and sometimes translate such into Yoruba language and other common languages in the communities,” the commandant said.

(NAN)