The police in Lagos have arrested a suspected vandal, Monday Ogbonna, for allegedly stealing inverter batteries used by telecom giant, MTN, at its mast in Badagry.
Edgal Imohimi, the Lagos State police commissioner, at a press conference Monday said Mr Ogbonna was arrested alongside four others.
“The police received a credible information from a credible source on July 17 that MTN installation at Mowo, Badagry had been vandalised by four men suspected to be robbers,” Mr Imohimi said.
“The men were said to be adept at stealing communication equipment.
“As a reaction to the information received, the Command dispatched a decoy team to monitor the facility.
“Upon proper monitoring, the police intercepted a white Mazda Bus with five occupants in front of Arena Shopping Complex, Oshodi, Lagos, the vehicle was searched and 16 pieces of inverter batteries were recovered from it.”
Mr Ogbonna, the suspect, told journalists how he was able to steal the inverter batteries under the watch of security officers.
“Usually, there are not always security men at the mast and this made it easy to remove the inverter batteries,” he said, adding that he had been in the business since 2016.
The suspect said they usually sell the inverter batteries to retailers at a “giveaway price” of N20,000.
A police officer at the command said Mr Ogbonna had just been released from custody in Ibadan and he moved to Lagos to continue his activities.
Mr Ogbonna admitted he had been arrested in Ibadan alongside some men on June 1 and was released on July 6 after a friend secured his bail.”
Mr Imohimi said the suspects would be charged to court after investigations.