A 24-year-old bricklayer, Akeem Sulaiman, has been arrested by operatives of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for vandalising government schools in the state.
Sulaiman, who lived at number 23, Aladorun Compound, Iwo town of the state, confessed to having been damaging schools and selling stolen valuables to scrap dealers for the past six years.
He said his last operation happened on September 7, 2024 when he visited AUD Primary School, Iwo, removed some items and was about selling them to scrap buyers.
Confirming the suspect’s arrest, the NSCDC command spokesperson, Kehinde Adeleke, said Sulaiman was apprehended by operatives around 11:15am, while moving the stolen valuables to metal scrap buyers.
According to her, the items recovered from the suspect included thirteen pieces of new stainless washing hand basins, pumping machine monitoring box, communication cables, three stainless trays and four hand shovels.
“Discreet investigations revealed that the suspect was a former labourer employed by the building contractor during the school’s construction and has been stealing from various buildings under construction for six years, selling the items to metal scrap buyers,” Adeleke stated.
She added that the state Commandant of the civil defence corps, Michael Adaralewa stated that Section 451 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 34, Law of Osun State, Nigeria, makes it an offence to willfully and unlawfully destroy or damage property.
Adaralewa said that the suspect would face the full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others who destroy government property.
He also cautioned metal scrap buyers in the state to desist from buying stolen items, warning that those found culpable would be dealt with according to the law.
