NSCDC thwarts attempted theft of Zamfara water pipes

The anti-vandal team of the Niger State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted a truck carrying suspected used water pipes from Zamfara State.

The truck was intercepted while the team was on patrol in the Paikoro Local Government Area.

The state commandant, Adamu Abdullahi Kambra, disclosed this while parading the truck’s driver and three occupants before journalists in Minna.

Kambra noted that a preliminary investigation revealed that the truck lacked the necessary documentation and that the used water pipes belonged to the Zamfara State Water Board.

He added that the incident undermines government efforts to provide amenities and improve livelihoods, stressing that vandalising critical infrastructure is a significant economic and developmental sabotage.

He assured that the command would conduct a thorough investigation with the Zamfara State NSCDC command to facilitate the handover of the water pipes to the Zamfara State government.

Kambra reassured the public that the command would not relent in its efforts to arrest and prosecute those responsible for these acts and that the NSCDC would intensify patrols and surveillance to protect critical infrastructure.

He appealed to community leaders, residents, and the public to join the corps in safeguarding government property.

When questioned by journalists, the buyer of the water pipes, Alhaji Mustafa Gidea, who is originally from Funtuwa in Katsina State but resides in Minna, explained that the pipes were sold to him at auction through a colleague, who is also a scrap buyer in Funtuwa.

He said: “A document was presented to me as an auction paper from the Zamfara State Water Board. I was informed that the water pipes were genuine, not illegal, and I have submitted the same documents to the NSCDC officials.”