The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Gombe State Command, has paraded an 84-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy arrested for alleged vandalism of transmission power cables in the state.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Superintendent of Corps Buhari Saad, who represented the State Commandant, Jibril Idris, said the duo were apprehended with several meters of vandalised aluminium cables.

According to him, the suspects, identified as Salisu Muhammad, 84, of Anguwa Idi, Gombe, a scrap marketer, and Muhammad Tahiru Babayo, 14, of Anguwa Dawaki, Gombe, a welder and fabricator, were caught with the items at Salisu’s shop located in Anguwa Uku.

READ ALSO:Police Arrest Suspected Fake Lawyer In Ogun

“The two were involved in the act of vandalism and were caught with critical national assets, transmission power cables.

“They will be charged to court for vandalism and unlawful possession of vandalised items,” the commandant stated.

The NSCDC boss noted that the arrest was part of renewed efforts by the command to protect critical national infrastructure from criminals who target public utilities for selfish gains.

READ ALSO:NSE Pledges To Mentor Young Engineers, Elects New EXCO Members In Bauchi

He warned vandals to desist from the illegal act or leave the state entirely, stressing that the command will continue to track and apprehend perpetrators of such crimes.

“We want to strongly warn vandals to steer clear of Gombe State. We will get them wherever they are.

“Security agencies are determined, but we also urge citizens to report suspicious activities because security personnel are not spirits and cannot be everywhere,” he added.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Monday paraded a father and son over the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

The father, Ibrahim Haruna, a 48-year-old and his 15-year-old son, Abdusalam Ibrahim, were identified as suspects.

Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Gombe, the Public Relations Officer, SC Buhari Saad, decried the spate of kidnapping in the state.

He said, “The second category of people that we have, we have three suspects that are involved in rape, gross indecency and defilement.

READ ALSO:Nigeria Grappling To Balance Rapid Urbanization, Infrastructure Demands — Don

“They are, one, Ibrahim Haruna, aged 48, of Jekarifari. He is a tailor by occupation. We also have Abdusalam Ibrahim, aged 15, of Jekadefari.

“The two people were involved in some acts of rape, gross indecency and defilement.

“It’s now a worrisome pattern; the case of rape is taking place in the state. The father has been committing this act of rape at his shop, while the son usually takes his turns at their residence. They took advantage of the young girl who is 13 years old.

READ ALSO:Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

“She happens to be their neighbour who has some mental illness. So they took advantage of her and have been raping her serially.”

Also paraded was 72-year-old Balarabe Suleiman, from Yelanguruza, who was alleged to have lured a 13-year-old girl into his car and raped her serially.

“He’s been giving her the sum of N200 for every act. And in this instance, it is the lady, the young girl, who became tired of his escapade and informed her parents. The case is still under investigation”, he added.

A convoy of the African Democratic Congress leader in Kebbi State and former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, came under attack by suspected political thugs in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Malami’s return to the state, while he was on a condolence visit to several families in the metropolis.

Witnesses said about 10 vehicles in the convoy were vandalised, while several of his supporters sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Malami, who served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice between 2015 and 2023, described the attack as politically motivated.

READ ALSO:FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs

“I was in Birnin Kebbi solely to pay condolences to families who lost their loved ones while I was away, not for political campaigns.

“It’s painful and unfortunate. Some thugs emerged from the APC state headquarters, armed with weapons and stones, and attacked our convoy, destroying vehicles and injuring our supporters.

“When it comes to politics in Kebbi State, there is no retreat, no surrender,” Malami said in an interview with journalists.

However, the All Progressives Congress in Kebbi State has denied any involvement in the incident.

READ ALSO:12 IDPs Suffer Snake Bites In Benue Camps

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Isa Assalafy, in a statement, condemned the attack and described Kebbi as a peaceful state.

“No government that enjoys the massive support of the people and is confident of victory in 2027 would want the peace of the state disrupted,” Assalafy said.

He further alleged that armed security personnel attached to Malami’s convoy opened fire during the confrontation, which he claimed escalated the situation.

Police authorities in Kebbi had yet to release an official statement on the attack as of the time of filing this report.