By: Abdullahi Inuwa
KATSINA — The Katsina State Police Command has arrested five suspects allegedly involved in the theft and illegal sale of public property, including electric cables and components belonging to government infrastructure in Jibia Local Government Area.
The suspects were apprehended following a police operation based on credible intelligence regarding the unlawful possession and disposal of public utilities in Bugaje village.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, operatives from the Central Police Station (CPS), Katsina, arrested three principal suspects identified as Hassan Ibrahim, Lawal Ibrahim, and Abubakar Sani, all in their early thirties, before transferring them to the State Headquarters for further investigation.
Preliminary investigations revealed that electric cables in Bugaje village had collapsed about six months ago following adverse weather conditions. Community leaders reportedly recovered and secured the cables pending official action. However, the suspects allegedly conspired to remove portions of the cables and sold them without authorization.
Police investigations further uncovered a network through which the stolen materials were disposed of. The cables were allegedly routed through Umar Isa and eventually sold to Ibrahim Rabiu. The suspects reportedly confessed to selling the stolen cable materials on five separate occasions for a total of ₦300,000.
In a major breakthrough, police operatives also recovered ten iron doors suspected to have been illegally removed from the Barawa Housing Estate.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly admitted their involvement in the crimes and identified seven accomplices who are currently on the run. The fleeing suspects were named as Abdulsalam Bashir, Umar Atyau, Aminu Bashir, Idris Salisu, Yusuf Muhammad, Ismail Abubakar, and Bashir Abdullahi.
Items recovered from the suspects include electrical cables, power line components, insulators, connectors, scrap electrical transformer parts, and the ten iron doors.
The Command said efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the remaining suspects, while the arrested individuals will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Ali Umar Fage, warned against vandalism, theft, and the unlawful disposal of public property, describing such acts as sabotage against community development.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding public assets and called on residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
The latest arrests underscore the Katsina Police Command’s renewed crackdown on the vandalization of public infrastructure and its determination to bring perpetrators to justice.
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