An alleged vandal, Abdullahi Maraya, who specializes in destroying electricity installations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been arrested and paraded by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The FCT Commandant of the Corps, Mr. Patrick Ukpen, yesterday said that the suspect was caught and beaten by residents of Gwagwalada community while he was digging-up underground earth rods installed by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the area.
According to Ukpen, the suspect was subsequently handed over by the mob to men of the anti-vandal crack team of the command.
“On Tuesday 5th September, 2017, one Abdullahi Maraya who specializes in vandalizing power infrastructures in various parts of the FCT was caught while deliberately destroying a recent electricity installations in Gwagwalada Area Council and was handed over to our anti-vandal crack team before he could flee the scene..
“The suspect claimed he was a staff of AEDC but our preliminary investigations reveal he was a casual worker who usually gets hired by the electricity distribution company for menial jobs on an ad hoc basis.
“We are still investigating the suspect and will charge him to court as soon as we conclude investigations,” the NSCDC boss said.
Ukpen, who disclosed that efforts have been intensified to apprehend other vandals at large, warned other criminals to, in their own interests, stay away from critical infrastructures and installations in the FCT.
Meanwhile, the suspect told DAILY POST that he was neither a thief nor a vandal as alleged; but a staff of AEDC who needed a few meters of earth rods for personal use.
“I am not a criminal. I have worked for AEDC for 10 years now. I only needed a short length of earth rods for my private use,” Maraya said.
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