The anti-vandal squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command has intercepted a truck loaded with used water pipes, while on patrol to Lambata in Gurara Local Government Area, along Paiko in Paikoro local government area of the state.
The truck was said to have taken off from Zamfara, heading to Minna, the Niger State capital.
Parading the Truck driver alongside the other three occupants of the Truck before the Newsmen on Monday at the State Headquarters of the NSCDC, in Minna, was the Commandant NSCDC, Niger State Command, Adamu Abdullahi Kambra.
Kambra stated that the Command had launched a preliminary investigation which revealed that the truck traveling from Zamfara State lacked necessary documents, adding that the used water pipes belongs to Zamfara State Water Board, emphasising that the incident undermines government effort to provide amenities and improve the livelihood of citizens.
The NSCDC State Commandant , said, that fundraising critical infrastructure is a significant economic and developmental sabotage,assuring that the Command will conduct thorough investigation with the help of Zamfara State NSCDC command so as to facilitate the handing over of the stolen water pipes to Zamfara State government for diligent prosecution of the perpetrators.
He however reassured that the command will not relent in an effort to arrest and bring to justice those responsible for the act, noting that NSCDC will intensify patrols and surveillance to protect critical infrastructure.
Kambra, thereby appealed to community leaders, residents and members of the public to join hands with the Corps in order to safeguard government property.
The suspected buyer of the stolen water pipes, Alhaji Mustapha Gide, who hailed from Funtua in Katsina state but resident in Minna, explained that the water pipes was sold to him as auction sales through his colleague who is also a scrap buyer in Funtua, purchased the water pipes as scraps.
In a brief encounter with the newsmen on the sidelines of the parade of the suspects, the buyer of the stolen items ,one Alhaji Mustapha said; “A document was presented to me as an auction paper from Zamfara State Water Board, and I was informed that the water pipes were genuine, not illegal, I have submitted the same documents to the NSCDC officials.”
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