By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin
Kwara state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded a 62-year-old former territorial manager of NITEL communication, Benedict Uwulekhue, on allegation of vandalism, criminal conspiracy and illegal sale of equipment of the NITEL telecommunication company.
The former territorial manager was paraded alongside his two accomplices.
Speaking while parading the suspects, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Pedro Ideba, said two of the accomplices of the former NITEL manager allegedly offered N140, 000 bribe to NSCDC men to stop criminal investigation of their alleged offences.
The commandant, who said some of the equipment allegedly sold to two suspected buyers in the Ilorin metropolis, included vandalised high tension cables, electricity transformer and containerised transmitter belonging to the NITEL Company.
The NSCDC boss, who said the buyers of the NITEL equipment could not produce document to authenticate ownership of the items, added that it was during further investigation into one of the buyers’ house that two industrial electricity generating plants belonging to government were discovered.
Speaking with journalists, the former NITEL territorial manager said he decided to move out the equipment from NITEL premises for safekeeping when he was pressurised by many prospective buyers of the equipment.
Also speaking, the two suspected buyers of NITEL equipment, Ugwuma Marcelius and Chukwudi Mba, identified as auto electrical dealers, said they bought the items from auction sale organised by NATCOM in April this year, adding that they had documents.
They said they bought the industrial electricity generator at N650, 000 each and the containerised NITEL transmitter and high tension cables at N700, 000.