The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 25 suspects for allegedly looting private and public property, as hoodlums hijacked the #EndSARS protests.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said this at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday.
He said that following the current trend of #EndSARS protests in the country and the subsequent hijacking of the protests by hoodlums, the state witnessed the looting and destruction of property.
He said consequently the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew to curb criminal activities of the miscreants.
Jalige said that with the responsibility of enforcing law and order placed on the police and other sister security agencies, the command went into action.
He said that in view of this, the command apprehended 25 suspects for alleged criminal conspiracy, vandalism and looting of public and private property.
Jalige listed some of the exhibits recovered from the suspects to include, three Toyota buses, one Mercedes Benz, one Golf car and one Toyota Camry.
He said that others include six Boxer motorcycles of which three were unregistered, six bed foams, one bundle of zinc, eight tricycles, 29 bags of grains and 32 pieces of plant fibre mosquito coils.
He noted that some medical items and drugs, including electrical gadgets, among others were recovered.
According to him, the police, alongside other security agencies, are still working to ensure that more offenders are arrested.
In a related development, looting and vandalization of government properties continued Monday unchecked in Adamawa state on the second day of the curfew imposed on the state.
This is even as the state police command confirmed the arrest of over 120 suspects who allegedly took advantage of the #EndSARS protests to vandalize and loot public and private properties in different parts of the State.
The hoodlums have taken advantage of the curfew imposed across the 21 local government areas in the state to loot and vandalize public and private structures.
The police spokesman in the state Suleiman Nguroje told newsmen in an interview Monday that the arrest of suspects is on going.
He said, ‘’some items recovered from the hoodlums include looted- tractors, farm implements, and other equipment stolen.
‘’ We are yet to establish the casualty figures, though some were recorded, even as investigation is still ongoing”
Nguroje, a Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) said, “ For now over 120 suspects were arrested by the Police and other security sister organizations for various criminal offenses ranging from arson, stealing, malicious damage to property and assault before and after the statewide curfew imposed by the Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri to restore law and order in Adamawa,” he stated.
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He explained that after police investigation, the government will prosecute these suspects with prima facie cases, who allegedly took advantage of the #EndSARS protests to destroy and loot public and private properties in different parts of the State.
To this end, the police spokesman called on the people of the state to maintain peace, law, and order in their respective communities, pledging the commitment of the command to uphold the rule of law at all times.
Some government organisations attacked and vandalised include Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency,Adamawa and Taraba Customs and Excise headquarter , Red Cross Secretariat , Agric store and Mayo Belwa local government secretariat.