The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested five suspects for allegedly vandalizing and stealing transformer and streetlight cables in Ilorin, the state capital.
The suspects — Samson Akintola, 21; Muhammed Zakariya, 19; Mohammed Monsur, 20; Ibrahim Hamida, 19; and Kabir Abubakar, 24 — were apprehended around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2025, during a joint operation by personnel of the NSCDC Tanke Division and members of the Tanke Community Vigilante Group (VGN).
According to the Corps, the suspects were intercepted at Tanke in possession of vandalized transformer and streetlight cables suspected to have been removed from Asa Dam and Sapati areas of Ilorin. Items recovered from them include vandalized transformer cables, streetlight cables, and burnt copper wires.
Preliminary investigations, the NSCDC said, indicate a clear case of willful vandalization and theft of public electrical installations, contrary to Section 1(9) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices connected to the crime.
Speaking on the development, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Umar J. G. Mohammed, reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical national assets and infrastructure (CNAI) across Kwara State.
In a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, Ayoola Michael Shola, the Commandant warned individuals and groups against acts of vandalism, stressing that the Corps would not relent in ensuring that offenders face the full weight of the law.
