From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

A 23 year old suspected armoured cable thief, Wombo Jude has confessed to stealing and selling electric cables worth over 1 million naira for a paltry sum of 50,000 naira after vandalising a transformer at Akajime area of Gboko LGA in Benue State.

He made the confession while being paraded by the Benue State NSCDC Commandant, Dr. Philip Okoh alongside 11 others at the state Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC) in Makurdi, the state capital on Wednesday.

Wombo who is now singing like a parrot in the custody of the NSCDC told newsmen that hunger and poverty pushed him into the crime.

Speaking further, Wombo who was into the crime with Saawuan Sughen noted that he joined the crime about three months ago during which he had participated in the vandalization of three different transformers.

He alleged that armoured cables stolen from the transformers were sold to Aliyu Saidu through a middle man identified as Salihu as scraps.

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Saidu who claimed to be into the business of buying condemned iron insisted that he had never met Wombo or transacted any business with him before but however could not deny when asked if he knew Salihu.

Also paraded for criminal conspiracy, wilful destruction of critical national assets (rail tracks) and being in possession of vandalized items were Kunde John, Amos Iorhegon, Terhungwa Nathaniel, Aondohemba Jato and Dajiru Musa.

Others who were paraded include Aondosoo Yanmeer, Fidelix Msughter and Aondowase Yanmeer for vandalizing armoured cables while Ugera Paul was suspected to have stolen a motorcycle.

NSCDC Commandant said that everyday is for the thief, and one day is for the owner disclosed that all the suspects have confessed to their various crimes and would soon be charged to court for prosecution.

Okoh who revealed that five persons have been convicted between June this year when he took over as Commandant and now, warned all criminal minded persons and their supporters to vacate Benue State stressing that the long arm of the law would soon catch up with them.