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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, says it has arrested 30 suspected vandals and recovered several stolen public assets in a sustained crackdown on the vandalism of critical national assets and infrastructure across the territory.
FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, said the arrests, made between January and June 2026, demonstrate the command's unwavering commitment to protecting public infrastructure and ridding the nation's capital of criminal elements.
Odumosu, who spoke in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Command's Public Relations Officer, DSC Monica Ojobi, said the command recorded significant successes through intelligence-led operations conducted in various parts of the FCT.
According to him, seven suspects were arrested in January, two in March, four in April, five in May and 10 in June, bringing the total number of suspects apprehended during the six-month period to 30.
He said three suspects were arrested for vandalising crash barriers along Constitution Avenue in the Central Area, where operatives recovered 12 damaged crash barriers and eight poles.
The commandant disclosed that another operation in Dakibiyu, Jabi District, led to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of a vandalised electricity transformer.
In a separate operation, three additional suspects were arrested while attempting to cart away six vandalised transformer components.
Odumosu also revealed that operatives apprehended illegal telecommunications cable operators engaged in unlawful cabling activities in the Sunnyvale area of the FCT.
Similarly, two suspected vandals were arrested around the Transcorp Bridge while allegedly attempting to vandalise telecommunications infrastructure.
He said two other suspects were apprehended for vandalising fibre optic cables around Leisure Court in Lugbe, while another two suspects were arrested in the Central Area for stealing iron rods.
The command also arrested two suspected armoured cable vandals in Utako and three others in Zone 3 over similar offences.
According to Odumosu, a 25-year-old suspect was caught vandalising streetlight input cables around Aco Estate along Airport Road in Lugbe.
He added that a 26-year-old suspect was arrested in Wuse Zone 6 while vandalising an electricity pole, with six lengths of electrical iron and one pole hanger recovered from him.
The commandant commended the operatives for their professionalism and the recovery of a substantial quantity of armoured cables and other vandalised public assets during the operations.
He reaffirmed the command's resolve to sustain the fight against vandalism, stressing that the protection of critical national assets remains a top priority.
"These arrests underscore our commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure and ensuring that those responsible for vandalism are brought to justice," he said.
Odumosu assured residents that the command would intensify surveillance, strengthen intelligence gathering and sustain enforcement operations to eliminate vandals and other criminal elements from the Federal Capital Territory.
"Our resolve remains firm to protect public infrastructure and maintain a safe and secure environment for all residents of the FCT," he added.