Police arrests councillor, village head over alleged theft of community transformer

Gombe State Police Command has arrested and paraded one Abdullahi M Panda, the Councillor representing Kumo East in Akko local government area for alleged theft and sale of a community’s electricity transformer.

The Councillor was arrested and paraded alongside two others from the community for allegedly stealing and selling the transformer belonging to the Majidadi community.

The suspects were paraded before newsmen at the Command headquarters in Gombe on Monday after their arrest by Police Commissioner, Hayatu Usman who said that they were arrested following a tip-off.

He said that the transformer was allegedly sold to one Bello Ardo Kumo for the sum of N1.5 million adding that Police have recovered the transformer and are still investigating the matter after which the suspects would be charged to court.

One of the suspects, the village head, Muhammad Majidadi, explained that the transformer had been idle for ten years and was already vandalised as so many parts had been stolen by unknown persons.

He further said that the community decided to sell the transformer with the plan of using the proceeds to build an Islamiyya school, dig a borehole for water supply and a clinic in the village.

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He claimed that he only informed the Councillor, Abdullahi M Panda, about the decision following advice by the Ward head and the District Head of the area.

But in a swift reaction, the Councillor, Abdullahi Panda denied any involvement in the sale of the transformer agreeing though that he was informed about the decision of the community.

He added that when he was approached, he directed the community to put the decision in writing in order to make it official which they did and brought to him for delivery to the Council Chairman for official decision.

The visibly embarrassed Councillor said that the community hurriedly sold the transformer on Friday without his knowledge only for the Police to arrest him.

He therefore requested that the matter be thoroughly investigated by the Police in the interest of fairness and justice just as he requested that the matter be taken to court.

By: Yemi Kanji

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