The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the alleged vandalism of a streetlight cable in Gwaram and an electricity transformer in Auyo Local Government Area of the state.
One of the suspects was rescued from an angry mob threatening to lynch him after residents allegedly caught him with dismantled transformer coils, the police said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Dutse on Sunday.
Adam said the first suspect, Aminu Musa, 38, of New Gwaram Town, Gwaram LGA, was arrested on September 25, 2026, while allegedly cutting the armoured cable of a streetlight in the town.
He said Musa, who operates a streetlight generator in the area, was apprehended by police operatives at the scene. The officers subsequently visited the location and recovered relevant exhibits.
According to Adam, preliminary investigations were conducted before the case was charged to court for prosecution.
In a separate incident, residents of Ayan Village, Auyo LGA, apprehended another suspect, Laminu Sha’aibu, 26, of Gumusuwa Village, Kafin Hausa LGA, on September 29, 2026, over the alleged vandalism of an electricity transformer.
Adam said Sha’aibu was allegedly found with dismantled transformer coils at Maskangayu Village, Auyo LGA, and was about to be lynched by an angry mob when police operatives arrived and rescued him.
The suspect was taken to a nearby primary health centre for treatment and was discharged after receiving medical attention, the police spokesperson said.
He added that the dismantled transformer was recovered.
“During the investigation, the suspect stated that he had spent three nights dismantling the transformer without being detected,” Adam said.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged vandalism and determine whether other people were involved.
Adam, however, confirmed that both cases had been charged before the appropriate court for prosecution.
The police urged residents to report suspected vandalism of electricity installations, streetlights and other public infrastructure to the authorities.
