The Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded forty-two suspects for committing various offences capable of breaching the peace of the State.
The State Commandant of the Corps, Musa Boyi, at a media briefing in Maiduguri, said the suspects, mostly youths, were arrested for committing vandalism, selling scrap metals (popularly called ajaokuta), employment scams, illegal mining, forgery and impersonation.
Boyi explained that fourteen of the suspects were arrested for vandalism of critical national assets and engaging in metal scrap business, which had been banned by the Borno State Government.
He explained that the Command also intercepted a truckload of scrap iron being moved from the metropolis to a neighbouring state, where four suspects, including the driver, were arrested for flaunting the law of the state.
“The State Governor, at one of the security meetings, gave a matching order for the banning of all ajaokuta businesses within the space of Borno State, but some outlaws continued to violate the law, which breaches the security of the state. Quite a number of those arrested are going to be prosecuted according to the law,” Boyi said.
The Commandant remarked that sixteen suspects were also arrested for gangsterism, terrorising innocent members of the public.
According to him, personnel of the Command recovered dangerous weapons from the suspects including knives and daggers.
Boyi added that among those paraded were seven people engaged in the forgery of token cards for palliatives given by the State Government.
He also warned officers and men of the Corps to desist from collecting money from those seeking employment in the Civil Defence as any personnel caught smearing its image would be severely punished.
