4 Arrested With Stolen Cables

The police at the Onikan Division, Ikoyi, Lagos State, western Nigeria, have arrested four men for allegedly stealing NITEL cables valued at N10 million. The incident, according to the police, occurred at about 2 a.m. on Raymond Njoku Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos recently.

The police identified the suspects as Okoya Emmanuel, 32, Udoma Okoutu, 37, Chiboy Eze, 28, and Chike Onyewure, 30.
It was reported that the alleged ring leader of the gang simply identified as Chinedu a.k.a IK, however, fled on seeing the police.

The police said some of the items recovered from the suspects include chisels, jack knives, cutlasses, saw blades, a Mercedes benz car used for the operation and about 100 pieces of vandalised armoured cables.

A police patrol team attached to the Onikan Division, Ikoyi, Lagos swooped on the suspects following a tip off by residents of the area that some people were vandalising NITEL cables in the area.

On sighting the police team, the suspected cable thieves fled but were pursued by the police who succeeded in arresting four of them while their gang leader and others escaped.

During interrogation, the arrested suspects allegedly confessed to the crime that they have been vandalising NITEL and PHCN cables for long on Kakawa, outer Marina, Onikan, Dolphin Estate and Ikoyi areas of Lagos State.

In his alleged confessional statement to the police, Okoya Emmanuel said: “cable vandalisation is very lucrative because we have made a lot of money from the business. That is where I got the money to buy my Mecedes Benz which I’m using for the business. My boss name is Chinedu a.k.a. IK now at large.

“We often hire a tipper lorry driver who ties an iron to the head of the cable and drags it out while our professional cutters we usually hire from Idumota area of Lagos Island cut the cables into pieces before we load them into vehicles and deliver to our buyers. We promise to change if we are set free.”

After investigation, all the suspects were charged before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a three-count charge of felony to wit, unlawful vandalisation of NITEL cables and stealing.

The offence, the police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu said, contravened Sections 409, 285(1) and 248 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.

All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge in the open court and the presiding magistrate, Mrs. Kubeinje, admitted them on bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties in like sum who must show a proof of six months bank statement.

She adjourned the matter till 29 January, 2014 for mention.
All the defendants were, however, taken to Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos when they could not fulfil their bail conditions.