A cable thief syndicate who specialise in vandalising government and private company’s cable in different parts of Lagos, has been arrested by operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command.
The officers also recovered 168 meter long cable which the suspects stole at the same point in the previous weeks as well as two sledge hammers and a green Volkswagen wagon Passat.
The six suspects were arrested on Friday when men of the Decoy Team of Rapid Response Squad acting on a tip off ambushed the suspects on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos where they were billed to operate around midnight.
The syndicate, in the absence of its ring leader, identified as Kingsley, an ex-convict, was led by a 29 year old Henry Akpan, a security guard manning the cable.
According to Akpan, he was invited to join the syndicate by Kingsley. “I am the one that arrested Kingsley and handed him over to the police, which led to his conviction and imprisonment.
When he came back from Kirikiri Prison, he came to see me. He told me that can he come back and work in the place? By this time, the company I was working for had disengaged me.
Out of the four years I worked for them, they only paid me for four months. Eventually, they said thieves were still stealing cable and because of this, they laid me off.
I colluded with him. I offered to provide him with security while he breaks into the tunnel of the Third Mainland Bridge median to cut the cables. We normally operate late in the night.
I do the surveillance while he cut the cable and roll it out. Once the deed is done, and he is out. I collect my money and walk away from the scene.”
While Kingsley is on the run, other members of the syndicate arrested include: Sunday Joseph, Obinna Nnabuenyi, Henry Owuama, John Chinedu and Francis Fidelis.
Also arrested were Sunday Francis and Simeon Ezeh, two regular buyers of the stolen cable, while 168 meter long cable stolen in the previous week before the arrest were recovered from the duo.
