RRS Nabs Two Cable Thieves, Including A Grandfather Of Three

Operatives of Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command in separate incidences yesterday arrested two suspects over the vandalisation of cable and transformer.

The suspects, Oladele Elegbede, 54 and Andrew Onoriode 25, were arrested early in the morning by the operatives in Dopemu and Alausa area of the State with vandalised cable and transformer earth.

Elegbede is a grandfather of three, who is a trained electrician. The Ilaro, Ogun State indegene was caught while vandalising a transformer. He had a week before the incident stolen cables around the transformer throwing the entire community into darkness.

He confessed that he vandalised cables whenever he was broke. He added that he had sold vandalised cables in Railway Crossing more than seven times.
In his confession, he said “The last cable I sold weighed 1 kilo. I was paid N1500. I sold it at Oju Irin Pen Cinema. The one I just cut can fetch me N1300.”

The second cable thief, Andrew Onoriode 25, who claimed to be a casual staff of Nigerian Bottling Company, Agidingbi plant, Ikeja, was arrested behind Shoprite Ikeja with a freshly cut armoured cable believed to belong to the Lagos State Ministry of Works.

According to investigators, the cable was cut from the network supplying powers to some of the buildings around the Secretariat.