By Chris Njoku
Mr Victor Eneji, a suspected vandal apprehended by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has disclosed that he engaged in vandalism because he had no place to stay.
Eneji who is 27 years old made the claim on Tuesday in Calabar in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while being paraded with his accomplices, Mr Benjamin Moses from Akwa Ibom and Ama Abiom from Cross River.
The suspect who was apprehended in the Federal Housing Authority, (FHA) area of Calabar when residents raised the alarm was arrested in possession of 11 metres long armoured cable removed from the street lights in the area and a matchet.
“I used to live in the area until the person I lived with told me to leave, I had nowhere to go, so I approached scrap metal dealers who told me what I could make if I vandalised the armoured cables.
“The two people I was arrested with escorted me to carry out the act before we were caught,” he said.
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The Cross River Command of the NSCDC also paraded two other suspects arrested in the Ekorinim area of Calabar Municipality for vandalising street lights in the area.
Items recovered from the two suspects, Mr Hussaini Abdulahi, 24 from Kaduna and Mr Mohammed Inuwa, 27 from Adamawa included streetlights pole panel compartment metal.
There was also an 11-metre cable removed from a street light, a long wheel spanner and a knife used in cutting and pulling out wires from the street lights.
Speaking on the arrests, Commandant Charles Brown, Commandant of NSCDC in Cross River said they were still carrying out profiling of the suspects and would charge them to court immediately they were done.
Brown who noted that the suspects were arrested at different locations in Calabar by the men of NSCDC said they also recovered rings from the suspects that they believed were charms.
“Since I took over in Cross River, we have had eight convictions which has reduced the rate of vandalism in the state but it is like some people are trying to stir it up again.
“We will not rest on our oars to thwart the effort of anyone who has not come to the state to do legitimate business but to destroy the good works of the government.
“I also urge residents to be alert and report suspicious activities in their community to the command and even create vigilante groups to bolster security in their areas,” he said.