Kaduna residents have raised the alarm over the massive stealing of irons and electricity cables by people suspected to be scrap metal scavengers in collaboration with local community thieves.
Some of the affected residents who narrated their bitter experience lamented that if not checked by security agents, the activities of thieving metal scavengers will become worse in the near future.
A resident of Ungwan Sunday near Sabon Tasha overhead bridge, Uche Eze, who shared his experience called on the Nigeria Police Force to establish police outpost by the side of the bridge to monitor activities of criminal elements in the area. “All the irons on the entrance gate of our compound have been vandalised in the night by these criminals. All manners of people operating by the side of Sabon Tasha bridge but many of them steal anything including snatching of mobile phones at night. The Police authorities should establish Police out post by the Sabon Tasha bridge or at Halima Junction to police this area,” he said.
Another resident, Ishaku Barde, who is building a house near Government Day Secondary School, Sabon Tasha, said his window iron burglaries and electricity cables were vandalized.
”I recently went to my building site and I was shocked to see that all my irons and electricity cable wire were vandalised. Security should be vigilant especially in the night to police Kaduna metropolis,” he said.
Also, Patrick Ter, narrated his ordeal,” The iron rods are too expensive now and those criminals are everywhere in the night and early morning removing these irons even signboards mounted by churches and organisations on the roadside are affected too. They are stealing anything iron, electricity cables.
The situation is getting out of hand and government should act fast. In our compound at Ungwan Sunday near Halima Junction they came and removed the electricity cables on the wall of our building.”
Apart from the residents’ bitter experience, investigations by our correspondent, who visited some uncompleted buildings, revealed that thieves have adopted a new approach by scaling the building fence to dismantle the iron rods, window aluminum, and vandalise electricity cable wires already fixed.
Commenting on the issue, the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, told LEADERSHIP that the command has directed all Divisional Police officers, DPOs to embark on patrols and raid black spots to effect the arrest of the criminals. “We always made arrests of suspects and the Command has directed the DPOs to raid black spots of suspected criminal hideouts,” he said.
