The police command in Niger State said it arrested three suspects for alleged vandalism of electric cables in different locations of the state.

This is contained in a statement by its Public Relations officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, on Thursday in Minna.

Mr Abiodun said that two suspects were arrested by  members of a vigilance group and police operatives attached to Sarkin-Pawa, Munya Local Government Area, on June 10, at 11:50p.m.

He said that the suspects, aged 25 and 30, from Kwagana village, Beni area of Sarkin-Pawa, were arrested by the team during a routine patrol on the Beni/Sarkin-Pawa road.

Mr Abiodun explained that two men, who came in a white Lexus vehicle with registration number RKD 84 AU, were caught vandalising electric cables of over one hundred metres length.

The spokesperson said, “The cable cutter was also recovered with the exhibits vandalised, they confessed that they planned to sell the cables to a buyer in Abuja.”

He said that the suspects have been transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation and prosecution.

He further said that on June 12, at about 5:00p.m. the security unit of Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Bosso campus, arrested a man, 24, over alleged theft of armoured cable.

The command’s spokesman said that personnel of the university’s security unit discovered on June 11, at 7:30a.m, that the generator house of the institution had been vandalised and  armoured cable stolen.

“The suspect cut 16 metres of armoured cable connected to the generator estimated to be worth N2 million. Fortunately, on June 12, at about 2:00p.m., when the suspect was making efforts to sell the cable to a buyer at Angwan-Masa, Bosso, the members of the community arrested him with the exhibits,” he said.

The suspect, a resident of Angwan-Kanawa area of Bosso, was later taken to the Bosso Police Divisional Headquarters, Abiodun said.

Mr Abiodun said that investigation was ongoing and when concluded, the suspect would be prosecuted in court.

(NAN)