Abia police confirm sergeant’s arrest in alleged pipeline theft case
Soldiers reportedly arrested 19 suspects at Nkwonta, Abia State, and handed them to the NSCDC for investigation.
The Abia State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a police sergeant among 19 suspects held over alleged pipeline theft at Nkwonta, Abia State, according to Punch.
Punch reported that police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka confirmed the arrest on October 29 and said the matter was under investigation. The officer’s alleged role was not detailed.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 143 Battalion reportedly apprehended the suspects while pipeline materials were being loaded into a truck. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further investigation.
The official Isuikwuato Local Government website also reported the arrest of 19 suspects, including a police sergeant, along the council’s pipeline axis.
Some suspects say they were hired to move scrap
Some loaders and a truck driver said they had been hired to transport scrap, according to THISDAY.
The newspaper quoted the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel A. M. Rabe, as saying the arrests followed sustained intelligence gathering and patrols. He said a police identity had not been established at the point of arrest. Punch subsequently reported police confirmation that a sergeant was among those arrested.
NSCDC says suspects are undergoing profiling
Punch quoted the NSCDC’s Abia spokesperson, Ndukwe Agu Egwu, as saying the suspects were undergoing profiling and would appear in court.
The sources reviewed do not confirm an arraignment or filed charges. The allegations against the suspects have not been proven in court.
