Sixteen youths, all males, within the age range of 40 to 15, were paraded before reporters on Monday at the Katsina Police Command for allegedly vandalizing government properties installed around the ongoing underpass (flyover) construction in Katsina State Capital.
Superintendent of Police, SP. Isah Gambo, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP. Sanusi Buba, paraded the 16 suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters on Tuesday.
Among the items recovered from them include: cable wires, shovels and diggers.
However, while being interrogated, a good number of them denied the allegation, claiming that they were just passing by when they were arrested.
“I came to buy “suya meat” around there when I was arrested. I did not tamper with any of the items as alleged,” one of them said.
The 16 arrested suspects who are currently under the Katsina Police net include:
40 years old Aliyu Danlami, 22 years old Abubakar Lawal, 21 years old Abubakar Dahiru, 20 years old Buhari Lawal, 20 years old Aminu Tasi’u, 19 years old Abba Lawal, 16 years old Mohammed Lawal, 20 years old Salisu Ibrahim, 21 years old Abubakar Bashar, 18 years old Sulaiman Isah, 18 years old Awwal Abubakar, 21 years old Bilyaminu Ibrahim, 15 years old Haruna Saleh, 20 years old Abdullahi Lawal, and Da’ud Isah.
SP. Isah, while parading the suspects, said: “based on credible information, the command succeeded in arresting sixteen (16) suspected vandals of Government property in Katsina Metropolis.
“Suspects were arrested at Kofar Kaura area vandalizing Government installations, at the newly approved site for the construction of the underpass costing millions of naira.
“Upon instant search, two (2) shovels, one (1) digger and some quantity of cable wires were recovered from them. Investigation is ongoing.”