NSCDC arrests scrap dealer and recovers stolen school property in Benin

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Command, announced that, based on intelligence, its officers arrested a scrap dealer and recovered stolen school property in Benin.

In a statement released on Sunday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Ogbebor Efosa, explained that a joint team—comprising the Edo State Scrap Monitoring Team, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, and NSCDC Safe Schools personnel—departed at about 10 am on 25 June 2026 for a routine school monitoring exercise in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. The team visited Oriohhene Primary School in Bolehole, where extensive vandalism was found.

“Preliminary assessment revealed that classroom chairs, air‑conditioning units, and roofing sheets had been stolen, while parts of the school’s red roof had been vandalised by suspected criminal elements,” the statement said.

Afterward, the monitoring team seized a scrap dump site at No. 40 Evbienwen Street, Iyaro, Benin City, and recovered vandalised roofing sheets and other items that were reasonably suspected to have been stolen from public schools.

The statement identified the suspect as Mr Aniemeka Hilary, 61, a native of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State and owner of the dump site, who was arrested in connection with the recovered items.

Mr Hilary reportedly regretted his actions and confessed to purchasing vandalised items from unidentified individuals.

The NSCDC State Commandant, Akintayo Saidi Ayinla, condemned the vandals’ activities and warned scrap dealers across the state to stop supporting and encouraging criminal elements through the purchase of suspected stolen items. He added, “Any individual found aiding, abetting, or benefiting from the destruction of government property will face the full wrath of the law.”