Suspected vandals have attacked Government Unity School, Ringim, in Jigawa State, overpowering security personnel and carting away armoured transformer cables valued at over ₦1 million in an incident that has disrupted electricity supply to the institution and raised fresh concerns over the security of educational facilities.
According to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the attack occurred at about 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, when more than 10 suspected vandals invaded the school premises. The assailants reportedly subdued three security guards stationed at different locations within the school before vandalising and stealing 12 metres of 75mm² armoured cable connected to the school’s transformer.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer in Jigawa State, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani, disclosed that the stolen cable is estimated to be worth between ₦900,000 and ₦1.05 million. He explained that operatives from the NSCDC Ringim Divisional Office responded immediately after receiving a distress call, while exhibits and other evidence were recovered at the scene to aid ongoing investigations.
Reacting to the incident, the Jigawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Commandant Muhammad Ingawa, condemned the attack, describing it as a criminal assault on critical national assets and infrastructure. He directed security operatives to launch an intensive manhunt to identify, arrest and prosecute all those involved in the crime.
The commandant also appealed to security personnel attached to schools and other public institutions to remain vigilant, stressing the importance of promptly reporting suspicious movements to security agencies. He urged residents to support law enforcement by providing credible intelligence capable of preventing future attacks on public infrastructure.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over repeated attacks on public infrastructure in Jigawa State. Only weeks earlier, security operatives recovered vandalised streetlight cables worth over ₦1.8 million in Hadejia, highlighting the increasing threat posed by infrastructure vandals to public institutions and essential services.
