Local vigilantes have apprehended a teenager and one other in Niger State for stealing electrical cables suspected to be part of a public power transformer. The suspects, identified as Usman Umar,17, and Ahmad Umar,19, were caught in the act near Muhammadu Jauro Secondary School in Lapai Local Government Area of the state, where they were burning the stolen cables to extract and sell the iron content. The suspects confessed to the crime and admitted that it was not their first time. During interrogation, they revealed the names of other individuals involved in similar activities. Speaking to Lapai TV, Gen. S.U. Abdulkadir (Rtd), the Hakimin Takuti, narrated how the culprits were caught. We apprehended the boys burning stolen cables. They confessed they often sell the scrap to known dealers, Bello and Awwal who trade in second-hand goods. I reached out to the scrap dealers chairman, Dogo, who confirmed that Bello and Awwal have a history of being involved with stolen property. This is not the first time, he said. Gen. Abdulkadir added that efforts to combat petty crimes in Lapai are ongoing, and that traditional leaders and security volunteers continue to patrol the area to restore peace and protect community assets: "These children want quick money without working for it. But discipline must prevail. If anyone from Lapai commits a crime and escapes through the courts, they should be relocated and made to face appropriate punishment elsewhere. The prison is there not just to punish but to correct. Both suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.
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