Ejiofor Alike
Two men, suspected to be members of a twelve-man syndicate that specialises in vandalism and theft of public electricity materials have been apprehended by security agents in Apapa.
A statement by the Head, Corporate Communications of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Godwin Idemudia in Lagos said luck ran out of the men when they were trying to load about 12 meters of stolen underground armoured cable into their vehicle.
According to the statement, the vandalised HV underground armoured cable was from vanilla 11kv feeder radiating from Apapa injection sub-station.
The statement stated that the suspected vandals were apprehended at about three o’clock in the morning by security men attached to A-Z Petroleum Company, Apapa.
The two suspected cable thieves were said to have immediately taken to their heels on sighting the security men but the swift response of the security men who gave them a hot chase thwarted their effort at escaping.
The statement said the two suspects were first taken to Apapa Railway Police Station before they were later transferred to Ebute Metta Area Command in railway compound.
The company said investigations into the matter were ongoing while the two suspects and their other accomplices would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
Idemudia said the arrest of the two suspects underscored the need for all communities to keep a vigilant watch on electricity facilities in their areas.
The incident, he further stated also proved that the belief in some quarters that staff of electricity distribution companies were the ones engaging in vandalism and theft of electricity equipment was wrong and far from the truth.
According to him, none of the people usually caught for the criminal act was ever found to be an employee of EKEDC or that of any distribution company.
