Cross River representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, PhD has issued a stern warning to vandals to steer clear of the Commission’s infrastructure in the state.
Duke gave the warning on Sunday following the recovery of a significant cache of stolen solar-powered street lighting equipment by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Cross River State Command over the weekend.
The NDDC Rep vowed that individuals, regardless of their status, found vandalising or complicit in the theft of public infrastructure provided by the Commission to complement the effort of the state government will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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“This is a clear act of sabotage, and we will treat it as such. Whoever that is involved in this despicable act of vandalism is trying to sabotage the efforts of the state government and NDDC to provide critical infrastructure such as street lighting that would assist in fighting criminality and make our streets safer at night,” Duke declared.
The operation, carried out by NSCDC operatives on Saturday, December 6, 2025, in the Calabar Municipality area, led to the successful recovery of eleven (11) solar poles and four (4) solar panels that had been dismantled and stored.
The most shocking element of the incident is the alleged involvement of a traditional ruler, His Highness Michael Inyang, the Village Head of Ikot Abasi Obori in Calabar Municipality. He has been directly implicated in the suspected vandalisation.
Accordingly, the State Command of the NSCDC has issued an invitation to the Village Head to report to the command headquarters on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 10:00hrs for questioning.
The NDDC’s solar streetlight projects are a vital component of its regional development agenda, aimed at improving security and quality of life in areas historically plagued by darkness and criminality. The commission has been expanding its solar footprint across the nine mandate states, making the protection of these assets crucial for achieving sustainable community development goals.
