The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested nine men accused of removing roofing sheets from three classrooms at Tsageru Primary School in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State and allegedly selling them to raise money for farm levies.
The suspects allegedly vandalised the school between September 5 and 8 without the approval of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (ZSUBEB), causing an estimated N4.5m damage.
The NSCDC Head of Public Relations in Zamfara, ASC Umar Muhammad, disclosed this at a briefing in Gusau on Monday.
He said the investigation began after the Education Secretary of Tsafe Local Government Area, Abdulrahman Aliyu, reported the missing roofing sheets to the corps.
According to Muhammad, operatives arrested one of the suspects, 55-year-old Alhaji Haruna Amadu of Tsageru Village, at about 3:02pm on September 8.
Amadu allegedly identified eight others said to have participated in the operation. They were named as Aliyu Aliyu, 40; Isah Umar, 40; Hassan Shehu, 35; Garba Ibrahim, 60; Ibrahim Lawali, 55; Abdullahi Usman, 35; Abubakar Ibrahim, 45; and Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, 40.
Muhammad said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects conspired to strip the roofing zinc from three classrooms.
He added that the nine suspects allegedly confessed to the offence and admitted attempting to bribe the District Head, Sarkin Gabas Aliyu, and the Village Head, Magaji Kabiru Salisu, to facilitate the operation.
The traditional rulers reportedly rejected the alleged bribe and warned the men against removing the school’s roofing materials.
The suspects allegedly told investigators that they planned to sell the roofing sheets and use the proceeds to pay levies required to gain access to farmlands during the farming season.
Muhammad said the suspects also admitted carrying out the vandalism without ZSUBEB’s authorisation.
He said the nine men would be arraigned before a competent court after the completion of investigations.
In a separate operation, the Zamfara NSCDC arrested a 58-year-old chemist operator, Emmanuel Okonkwo, for alleged involvement in the distribution of illicit drugs.
Muhammad said Okonkwo was arrested at about 11:30pm on September 10 at his shop in the Bakin Tasha area of Birnin Magaji Local Government Area.
The suspect, who allegedly said he had operated a chemist for more than 20 years, reportedly confessed to dealing in hard drugs alongside two accomplices identified as Yellow and Sadiq, who remain at large.
Operatives allegedly recovered 112 wraps of cannabis from him.
The NSCDC State Commandant, CC Sani Mustapha, ordered Okonkwo’s transfer to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.
Meanwhile, three suspects have been arrested in Osun State over the alleged theft and sale of electrical cables belonging to the community in Agbona Village, Iwo Local Government Area.
The NSCDC Osun Commandant, Toma Enya, said the suspects—Taliatu Olunlade, 60; Wasiu Olunlade, 25; and Ganiyu Ayomide, 22—were arrested on September 4 after investigations into the disappearance of the cables.
Enya said the cables had been removed in November 2025 to allow road construction and were subsequently stored near Taliatu Olunlade’s residence under an arrangement involving the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and community leaders.
He said the cables allegedly disappeared gradually over several months before the NSCDC commenced discreet investigations.
According to him, the investigation revealed that the cables were allegedly removed in pieces and sold to a scrap dealer identified as Aminu, who is currently at large.
The three suspects allegedly confessed to selling the cables to Aminu for N150,000.
Enya said efforts were ongoing to arrest the alleged receiver, while the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations.
He warned against the theft, vandalism and illegal sale of critical public infrastructure, urging residents to report suspicious activities involving electrical cables and other national assets.
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