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.
