10 Charged With Cable Theft

Thirteen men  have been charged with theft of  cables belonging to the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, NITEL, in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.

They were arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on a 4-count charge of felony to wit, conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing.

The police at the Bar Beach Police Division, Victoria Island, Lagos had  arrested a 40-year old suspected cable thief identified as Mohammed Safiyu, who allegedly recruited 16 others to vandalise and steal NITEL cables valued at about N50 million from NITEL warehouse on Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island. Investigation revealed that nemesis caught up with the accused on 13 January when Safiyu, the alleged ring leader, stormed the NITEL warehouse with the 16 men in a Volvo truck with registration number APP 98 QB, which they pasted with fake NITEL stickers in order to deceive security operatives that  they were staff of the company.

The security supervisor attached to a private security firm to guard the warehouse identified as Abu Garba, 42, allegedly connived with the suspected thieves to perpetrate the act. He was said to have opened the main gate to the warehouse for the suspects to gain entrance into the premises after they allegedly promised to pay him N700, 000 if they succeeded in carting away the items.

But police swooped on them while they were loading the cables into their waiting truck following a tip-off from a member of the public.

During interrogation, Abu Garba reportedly told the police that he regretted his actions which could tarnish the image of the company that deployed him to the NITEL office.

The offences, the prosecutor, Corporal Okete Ejime, stated, contravened sections 410, 306, 278 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

One of the charges reads: “That you Benard Nwokeleme, Abu Garba, Mohammed Safiyu, Abdurahaman Yakubu, Ibrahim Garba, Ali Yohana, Musbau Lawal, Abubakar Sani, Kamoru Mohammed, Azeez Gazali, Wasiu Ishaka, Christian Obi, Jeremiah Akinwunmi and four others on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, did steal some quantities of of NITEL cable valued at over N50 million, the property of NITEL.”

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Mr. A. A. Adefulire admitted them on bail in the sum of N100, 000, each with one surety in like sum.

He adjourned the matter till 29 January, 2013 for mention.

The defendants were moved to Ikoyi Prison pending when they would perfect their bail conditions.

—Paul Iyoghojie