Man steals Ambode’s ‘Light Up Lagos’ project cable (Photo)

The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of
the Lagos State Police Command have arrested
a suspected vandal, Lucky Udeagwu.

Udeagwu, 29, was nabbed by the police for
allegedly stealing a 35 meter-long armoured
cable meant for the state government’s Light Up
Lagos’ project in the Ogudu area.

The alleged cable thief, who claimed to be from
Delta State, was sighted by the police along with
two
suspected accomplices, now at large.

They were reportedly sighted coming out of the
bush towards Ogudu bus stop by the RRS
operatives on routine surveillance around 3am,
carrying a big sack containing the armoured
cable.

The leader of the team, Inspector Bello Kabir,
who led the men on patrol of Oworoshoki
Expressway, told Punch that the team was
monitoring the project when the suspected
thieves were sighted.

He said:

“The Commander RRS, ACP Olatunji
Disu, told us that Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode wanted officers to always check
out Light-Up Lagos projects because of
cases of vandalism of lamp posts.

“On Saturday, we saw Lucky and two
other guys carrying a big sack and
coming towards Ogudu bus stop. Because
it was a straight road, we could see them
from afar.

“As they sighted the RRS vehicle, they
took to their heels in different directions,
but we caught Lucky. We were suspicious
that what could make them run when
they saw us must be something criminal.

We checked the bag and we saw a 35
meter-long armoured cable. Beside the
bag was a camouflage cap.

“On the spot, we searched him. We found
in his small bag, a screw driver, a 10-
spanner and a T-shirt. The 10-spanner is
the size of the bolts covering the lamp
posts in the area.”

It was gathered that further investigations by
the RRS showed that Lucky’s boss saw him last
before the Easter break.

It was also learnt that nobody could identify him
in the three houses he gave as his residents.

But Lucky denied stealing the cable, adding that
the men that dropped the bag and fled
committed the act.

He said:

“I got to Ogudu bus stop at about 3am
on Saturday. Those boys dropped the
sack containing the cable. I don’t know
them.

“I got out early because I was searching
for work. I wanted to get to Ikorodu early
so that I could get a site job. I saw the
two boys carrying that bag from a nearby
bush, and as soon as they saw the
police, they ran and I also ran.

“The tools in my bag are what I used to
service my generator, but I sold the
generator about a year ago. I was
arrested at about 3.11am, but I don’t
know any of those boys,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer,
Dolapo Badmos, said the state would not
tolerate vandalism and sabotage of
governments’ property.

“The suspect has been transferred to
SARS’ office in Ikeja,” she added.