The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command has again recorded yet another success in the protection of Critical Infrastructure and National Assets as its operatives at Dangote Cement factory, Ibese, Ogun State arrested two notorious cable thieves who have been cutting and carting away armoured cables which belongs to the company and charged them to court which then led to conviction of the offenders.
The Magistrate Court sitting in Ilaro, has thereafter sentenced the culprits to one year jail term on each of the two counts charges made against them, having pleaded guilty to the offences.
Hussain Waziri, male, 36 and Mustapha Aliyu, male, 33 were arrested during a routine beat patrol operations embarked upon by the NSCDC operatives at Dangote Cement Factory Outpost station. Exhibit recovered from them include Special armoured cable, a property of Dangote Plc, which is being used in transmitting and distributing power within the factory.
According to a report, the arrested gangs who are serial cable thieves allegedly conspired, jumped over the perimeter fence and accessed the (DCP-I) Cable yard within the Power Plant, with the intent to commit a crime. At approximately 0336Hours, during the routine patrol at the Power Plant duty post, the NSCDC armed personnel sighted Mustapha Aliyu and Hussein Waziri while committing the heinous crime. The suspects violently engaged the security personnel with dangerous tools in order to escape arrest. Mustapha Aliyu was overpowered and eventually arrested while, Hussein Waziri escaped with the stolen cable. Unfortunately for him, the NSCDC personnel conducted an intelligence based “search and arrest” operation and at about 0436Hours of same night, Hussein Waziri who had earlier escaped from the scene where he carted away the Special armored electrical cable was rearrested, within the geofencing of the Dangote Cement Transport [DCT-I ] by the alerted NSCDC personnel assisted by the Dangote Security guards.
The Convicts were transfered to the NSCDC State Headquarters for thorough investigation and prosecution. They confessed to committing the crime.
On Tuesday, 21st May, 2024, they were arraigned before His Worship M. T OTAYEMI OSIKOYA at the Magistrate Court sitting in Ilaro Ogun State and were Convicted on two count charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing of Armoured cable belonging to Dangote Cement Company in Ibese.
Having pleaded guilty to the count charges, the court then sentenced the defendants to one year jail term on each of the count charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing. The term is to run concurrently on each of the two count charges.
Reacting to the arrest and the conviction secured at the court, the Ogun State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Commandant David Idowu Ojelabi, reiterated the commitment of NSCDC to protection of Critical Infrastructure and ensuring that crime is stamped out of Ogun State and Nigeria at large.