The police command in Enugu has detained five suspects in three separate operations involving alleged vandalism and theft of public infrastructure.
The vandalised infrastructure included a solar streetlight, road traffic signs, and materials belonging to the Enugu State Water Corporation, according to a statement by the command’s spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday.
Ndukwe explained that on September 27, at about 8:30 p.m., after a tip-off that two men were seen negotiating the sale of a suspected stolen solar streetlight at a scrap dump in Enugu, police operatives mobilised to the scene and arrested the suspects.
He said the arrest led to the recovery of the solar streetlight, prompting police to detain both suspects for theft.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to vandalising and stealing the solar streetlight earlier that day at Graceland Estate, Independence Layout, Enugu,” he said.
He also said that on September 24, at about 3:34 a.m., operatives of Abakaliki Road Police Division, acting on a distress alert from the state Command-and-Control Centre, arrested and detained a suspect for removing traffic signs.
“The suspect and an accomplice, who fled the scene, were detected by the security surveillance system while removing the road traffic signs. Many vandalised road signs bearing different inscriptions were recovered from the suspect,” he said.
Ndukwe added that in another operation on September 15, operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested and detained two male suspects.
“The duo were alleged to have conspired to vandalise and steal materials belonging to the state water corporation. A bag containing iron materials, bolts and nuts allegedly vandalised and stolen from the corporation was recovered from them,” he said.
Ndukwe said efforts were ongoing to arrest other accomplices still at large.
The police commissioner, Mamman Giwa, commended police operatives and supporting neighbourhood watch members for their prompt response, which led to the arrest of the suspects and the recovery of the vandalised/stolen items.