By Adedeji Ademuyiwa (kokoro oro)
Nigeria – There is a saying in the Yoruba local parlance that he that stole a keg of palm oil from the roof top is not the real thief, but whoever that buys it.
This was exactly what played out in the case of a vandalized transformer and the theft of armoured cables worth ₦9.8 million, found in the possession of three suspects who confessed to have bought the whole lot for a paltry N750, 000.
Apparently unmindful of the consequences of buying stolen goods, the three suspects, all in their 20s, have wringed themselves into the net of Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps).
The suspects, Mansirina Usman, 27; Janadu Ahyarn, 20; and Husseni Abdullahi, 20, were arrested by the Corps’ surveillance team at about 7:31pm on June 27.
So-Safe Corps Commander, Dr. Soji Ganzallo, in a statement e-signed by the Corps’ Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf, disclosed that their arrest was sequel to intelligence gathered that the stolen cables were sold in OPIC Estate, Agbara.
“Prior to the arrest, information reached the Corps that transformer armoured cables worth ₦9.8 million were vandalized and stolen by unknown thieves”, Ganzallo said, adding that “the Area Commander, Assistant Commander Adeosun Adeniyi, and his team were tasked with bringing the perpetrators to justice within 48 hours”.
Following their arrest and subsequent interrogation, according to the statement, the suspects confessed to buying the stolen cables from one Mustapha and ‘Minister’, both currently at large.
Investigation further revealed that Usman bought 30kg of the cables for ₦300,000; Ahyarn, 25kg for ₦250,000, while Abdullahi bought 20kg for ₦200,000.
Meanwhile, Ganzallo has commended the surveillance team for their swift action, noting that the busting of the syndicate was a testament to the Corps’ commitment to tackling criminal activities in the state.
At the time of their arrest, the suspects had in their possession four off-cut armoured cables, ₦18,850 in cash, three Android phones, two wristwatches and two unmarked TVS motorcycles.
The three suspects and the recovered exhibits have been transferred to the Agbara Divisional Police Headquarters for further investigation and likely prosecution.