Suspected vandals have attacked the Niger State Water and Sewage Corporation (NISWASEC) Booster Pump Station located opposite the Police Secondary School in Dutsen Kura, Minna, vandalising critical infrastructure and disrupting water supply to residents of the area.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, 20 January 2026, between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., when about ten suspected hoodlums, allegedly armed with dangerous weapons, invaded the facility. During the attack, the assailants assaulted and tied up the station’s watchman before proceeding to vandalise key equipment at the site.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Manager of NISWASEC, Zainab Yunusa, said the attackers vandalised and carted away armoured cables connected to the station’s 500kVA generator set, including cables linking the generator to the change-over switch. She explained that the insulators were peeled off and the metallic conductors removed, with the stolen items reportedly conveyed away using a commercial tricycle, popularly known as keke napep.
Yunusa added that the matter has been reported to the GRA Police Station in Minna and that investigations are currently ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen items.
She further disclosed that the assaulted watchman is receiving medical attention at the Senator Idi Kuta Primary Health Centre along Old Airport Road, Minna, and is responding positively to treatment.
Meanwhile,Niger State Government and the management of NISWASEC have strongly condemned the attack, described it as a criminal act that undermined public infrastructure and disrupts essential water supply to residents.
Relevant technical teams have since been deployed to assess the extent of the damage and commence remedial work aimed at restoring water supply as quickly as possible.
Yunusa appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and security-conscious, urged them to promptly report any suspicious movements or activities around government facilities to security agencies.
She reaffirmed NISWASEC’s commitment to the provision of clean, safe, and reliable water supply across Niger State, stressing that public assets must be protected as a shared responsibility.
