Police arrest suspected cable vandal in Gombe, recover stolen wires

The Commissioner of Police in Gombe State, CP Umar Chuso.

The Gombe State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old man, Ahijo Boyi, over the alleged vandalisation and theft of high-tension electricity cables in the state.

The police also recovered four rolls of suspected vandalised high-tension electricity cables from the suspect.

The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Gombe.

According to the statement, Boyi, “A resident of Burundi Quarters in Akko Local Government Area, was arrested on October 31, 2026, at about 9 am by police operatives conducting a visibility patrol, with assistance from members of the community.”

Abdullahi added, “Four rolls of suspected vandalised high-tension electricity cables were recovered from the suspect during the operation.”

Preliminary investigations revealed that the recovered cables were allegedly vandalised from a high-tension electricity line stretching from the 301 Army Artillery Regiment to the Gona area of Gombe State.

The PPRO added that the suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation to conspiring with three other accomplices, who are currently at large, to perpetrate the crime.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Umar Chuso, commended the police operatives and community members for their cooperation, which led to the arrest and recovery of the exhibits.

Chuso reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

“The Command remains committed to protecting critical national infrastructure,” the statement quoted the commissioner as saying.

The police said investigations were ongoing, adding that efforts had been intensified to apprehend the fleeing accomplices.