The Niger State Police Command has arrested twelve security guards attached to the Kainji Power Plant in connection with large-scale vandalism and theft of equipment worth about N4.8 billion.
The incident happened at the navigation lock yard of the facility located at Kaya junction, near Jebba town.
The arrests began after Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, the operators of the plant, reported suspicious activities at the facility on August 11. Two supervisors of the power plant, identified as Shaibu Abu Sufyan, 35, and Ibrahim Musa, 31, were the first to be taken into custody. During interrogation, Abu Sufyan reportedly admitted involvement in the theft and mentioned the names of other accomplices.
The investigation revealed that the group of guards conspired with scrap dealers based in Nasarawa village, Mashegu Local Government Area. The scrap dealers, identified as Musa Khalid, Abah Khalid, and Abdullahi, were said to have organized workers who cut the metals into movable sizes using acetylene gas and later lifted them with cranes into waiting trucks. These operations were mostly carried out at night and during weekends when supervision was minimal.
The stolen materials were moved to Khalid’s shop, weighed, and then distributed through his agents to buyers in Lagos, Kwara, and Osun states. Further checks linked millions of naira in transactions to the arrested supervisors, with records showing over N12.5 million traced to Abu Sufyan and about N11.5 million traced to Ibrahim Musa.
The police also discovered that apart from the beams and metals, store facilities and manhole covers at the plant had been tampered with, while some heavy equipment was removed. Security operatives have since intensified efforts to track down the scrap dealers and other collaborators who are still at large.