The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (BA-SUBEB) has confirmed the arrest of one Umar Abubakar for allegedly stealing school desks from Yelwan Kundum Primary School in the Bauchi local government area of the state.
SUBEB also pledged to strengthen collaboration with security agencies and community leaders to safeguard school property from thieves and vandals across the state.
The permanent secretary of the Board, Alhaji Abdulmumini Jibrin, disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists in his office yesterday.
He explained that the suspect was apprehended by security operatives following a report from community leaders. Alhaji Jibrin assured that the board would ensure justice is served to deter others from engaging in similar acts.
The permanent secretary also warned criminals to desist from stealing school property, noting that measures have been put in place to track down and prosecute offenders according to the law.
For his part, the Education secretary of Bauchi Local Government, Hajiya Talatu Yakubu, commended the people of Kundum community for their vigilance, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
She urged other communities to emulate the gesture in protecting government property.
Hajiya Talatu also appreciated the Tafawa Balewa Estate Police Outpost for their swift response, which resulted in the arrest of the alleged thief.
Earlier, the Village Head of Kundum, Mallam Nuhu Idris, and the Ward Head of Yelwan Kundum, Nasiru Hussaini, alleged that the suspect, Umar Abubakar, a resident of the community arrived at the school around 9 p.m. in a Boxer J5 vehicle and carted away three desks.
According to them, youths of the area caught and beat the suspect before handing him over to the police.
They added that the community had put measures in place to curb frequent cases of theft at the school by unknown individuals.
Both community leaders appealed to the state government to ensure that the suspect faces the full weight of the law to serve as a deterrent to others with similar intentions.
