Police in Jigawa State say they have dismantled two criminal gangs accused of vandalising electricity infrastructure and stealing cables worth more than seven million naira.
The arrests followed a series of raids in Hadejia and Bamaina, where officers recovered stolen equipment, including transformers, cable wires, and household items.
In Hadejia, eight men aged between 18 and 36 were arrested after a transformer was vandalised in Matsaro Quarters.
Investigators say the group later admitted to damaging at least fifteen transformers across Hadejia Emirate, Kaugama, and Auyo.
Parts were allegedly sold in Hadejia and Kano for nearly one million naira.
Two suspected buyers were also detained.
In a separate incident, police in Bamaina arrested two suspects accused of stealing armoured cables valued at seven million naira.
Officers say the cables were burned inside a classroom to extract materials before being sold.
The suspects are also accused of breaking into a staff residence at the Jigawa State Academy of Gifted Bamaina, stealing a laptop, a mobile phone and cash.
Some items have since been recovered.
The state’s police commissioner, Dahiru Muhammad, said the crackdown was part of wider efforts to tackle rising cases of vandalism.
He urged residents to report suspicious activity, warning that attacks on public utilities undermine development and disrupt communities.
