Determined to checkmate arbitrary use of power in the state, Gombe State Police Command has arrested and paraded one Abdullahi Panda and the Councillor representing Kumo East in Akko Local Government Area (LGA) for alleged theft and sale of an electricity transformer belonging to the Majidadi community.

The suspects were paraded at the command’s headquarters in Gombe on Monday evening after their arrest by the state’s Police Commissioner, Hayatu Usman, who said that the suspects were nabbed following a tip-off.

Usman said that the transformer was sold to one Bello Ardo Kumo for the sum of N1.5 million, adding that the police have recovered the transformer.

He said the matter is still being investigated and suspects will be charged to court after its completion.

One of the suspects, the village head, Muhammad Majidadi, explained that the transformer had been idle for 10 years and was already vandalised while many components have been stolen.

He revealed that it was the unanimous decision of the community 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.

He claimed that he only informed the councillor about the decision following advice from the Ward head and the District Head of the area.

But in a reaction, the councillor denied any involvement in the sale of the transformer but admitted that he was informed about the decision of the community.

According to him, he had directed the community to put the decision in writing to make it official, which they did, and brought to him for delivery to the council chairman before an official decision was taken.

The 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.