Tension gripped the Demekpe area of Makurdi, Benue State, on Tuesday following the arrest of three men caught vandalising electrical cables in the community—one of whom is suspected to be a police officer.
The suspects were apprehended around 3:00 a.m. by members of a local vigilance group who said they caught the men in the act of cutting electrical cables. A resident of the area, who gave his name as Debur, said the noise from the confrontation between the vigilantes and the suspects drew the attention of community youths.
“The incident happened around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday when we heard the noise of the vigilantes and the suspects, which made some youths in the community come out,” he said.
According to him, the situation almost escalated into mob action, but the vigilance group acted swiftly to prevent violence.
“Safe for the vigilante, youths wanted to set them ablaze, but they hurriedly called policemen from D Division, who came and took them away,” Debur added.
One of the suspects was reportedly found with an identity card believed to be that of a police officer. The ID card, bearing the name Innocent Ishaku and the number 309976, had a photograph attached.
While confirming the arrest, the Head of Corporate Communication at Jos Electricity Distribution, Dr Adakole Elijah, acknowledged the incident but said the identity of the suspect believed to be a police officer had not been confirmed.
“It is true, three people were arrested, and they will soon be charged in court,” Elijah said.
When asked about the alleged police identity card found with one of the suspects, he responded, “Well, that I cannot say for now. You know, these criminals most times flaunt security personnel’s identity cards.”
Attempts to get the reaction of the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, were not answered, and text messages sent to her phone remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.
Vandalism of public infrastructure, especially electricity installations, has become a persistent challenge across Nigeria. It often results in prolonged power outages, increased repair costs, and heightened community tensions. The involvement of a person suspected to be a police officer in such an act, if confirmed, could further erode public trust in law enforcement.
Authorities are yet to announce a date for the arraignment of the suspects.
