The Enugu State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the alleged vandalism and theft of public infrastructure, including a solar street light, road traffic signs and materials belonging to the Enugu State Water Corporation.
The arrests were made in three separate operations across Enugu between September 15 and September 27, 2026, according to the Command in a statement issued on Sunday, October 4, by its Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe.
In the first operation, police operatives from New Haven Division, acting on a tip-off on September 27 at about 8:30 p.m., arrested two suspects, Wisdom Nuhu and Moses Jonathan, while allegedly negotiating the sale of a stolen solar street light at a scrap dump in New Artisan Market, Enugu.
The solar street light was recovered from the suspects, who allegedly confessed during interrogation to vandalising and stealing it earlier that day at Graceland Estate, Independence Layout, Enugu.
Similarly, operatives of Abakaliki Road Police Division arrested a 35-year-old suspect, Chukwudi Nwigbo, at about 3:34 a.m. on September 24 along Abakaliki Road, GRA, Enugu, after he and an accomplice were allegedly detected removing road traffic signs by the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre.
The accomplice reportedly fled the scene, while several vandalised road signs bearing different inscriptions were recovered from Nwigbo.
In another operation on September 15, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), working with members of the Neighborhood Watch Group, arrested two other suspects, Zubairu Hamanpedimso, 31, and Mohamed Adamu, 21, for allegedly conspiring to vandalise and steal materials belonging to the Enugu State Water Corporation.
A bag containing iron materials, bolts and nuts allegedly vandalised and stolen from the Corporation was recovered from the suspects.
The Police Public Relations Officer said all five suspects had been arraigned before a court and remanded in Correctional custody pending further hearing, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspects still at large.
Reacting to the arrests, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the police operatives and members of the Neighborhood Watch Group for their prompt response, which led to the recovery of the allegedly stolen and vandalised public assets.
He also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information on activities capable of undermining public infrastructure and security.
The Commissioner assured the public of the Command’s continued commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring that those responsible for vandalism and theft are brought to justice.
