TheCable

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)  says it has arrested 42 suspects for alleged theft, vandalism, impersonation and other offences in Borno. 

While parading the suspects in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, on Friday, Musa Faruk, NSCDC commandant in the state, said 11 suspects were arrested for illegal metal scrap scavenging.

Faruk said five were apprehended for impersonation of police and military personnel, adding that some accoutrements were recovered from them. 

The NSCDC commandant added seven suspects were arrested for alleged forgery of the Borno government’s  palliative token in Dikwa and Mafa LGAs of the state.

“The state governor in providing succour to the less privileged and vulnerable population offered certain palliatives in cash and kinds in various locations within the state,” Faruk said.

“Some scrupulous elements are engaged in forging those cards, thereby taking undue advantage of the beneficiaries of the palliatives. 

“The suspects were found with 50 fake palliative tokens which they sold at N11,000 each to the unsuspected victims.

“The public is advised to desist from patronising such elements as both the seller and buyer are committing an offence of cheating, mischief and forgery in the eyes of the law.”

 Faruk said the NSCDC corps also apprehended some suspects for alleged vandalism of armoured cables, illegal mining and fake employment.

He said operatives of the command also arrested 16 suspected members of a group, known as the Marlian gang, for possession of dangerous weapons.

“These men were arrested for act of vagabonds, this implies that they are dissolute, socially maladjusted, and thereby causing mayhem within the society mostly at night. We have arrested them” Faruk said.

“Within these set of persons were menacing and disturbing the peace in the metropolis. We don’t intend to witness another tendency toward Boko Haram.”