The Katsina State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly stealing and selling public property, including electric cables and other utility materials, in Jibia Local Government Area.
As reported by Hikaya Newspaper, According to the police, the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence received on June 9, 2026, regarding the unlawful possession and disposal of public utilities in Bugaje village. Operatives from the Central Police Station in Katsina carried out the operation and initially arrested three principal suspects identified as Hassan Ibrahim, 30, Lawal Ibrahim, 31, and Abubakar Sani, 31.
Police investigations revealed that electric cables in Bugaje village had collapsed about six months earlier due to adverse weather conditions. Community leaders reportedly recovered and secured the cables pending official action. However, the suspects allegedly conspired to remove portions of the cables and sold them without authorization.
Further findings showed that the stolen cable materials were allegedly passed through Umar Isa, 35, who later sold them to Ibrahim Rabiu, 27. Investigators said the suspects confessed to selling the electric cable materials on five different occasions for a total of N300,000.
During the operation, police also recovered ten iron doors suspected to have been unlawfully removed from the Barawa Housing Estate. Other recovered items included electrical cables, power line components, insulators, connectors, and scrap electrical transformer parts.
The command said the suspects admitted their involvement in the offences and also named seven other alleged accomplices who are currently on the run. The fleeing suspects were identified as Abdulsalam Bashir, Umar Atyau, Aminu Bashir, Idris Salisu, Yusuf Muhammad, Ismail Abubakar, and Bashir Abdullahi. Police said efforts were ongoing to arrest them.
The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Ali Umar Fage, warned against vandalism, theft, and the illegal disposal of public property. He assured residents that the command remained committed to protecting public assets and urged members of the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station. Police added that the suspects would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.