Picture of 2 Men Caught with Stolen Nitel Cables Valued at N250 million

The men you see above were captured by Police who said they caught them when the vehicle they used in conveying the stolen Nitel Cables broke down along Osborne Estate expressway, Ikoyi, Lagos at about 3a.m.

They were actually 5 suspects but 3 out of the 5 escaped leaving Femi David, 28, (the ring leader who claimed he resides at Ijora and a native of Igbokoda in Ondo State, southwest Nigeria) and Michael Etoke, 31, (from Calabar, Cross River State, southsouth Nigeria, resides at 26, Ijora Badia Street, Ijora, Lagos).

Items recovered from them, according to the police at Dolphin Estate Division, Ikoyi, Lagos, include about 5,000 pieces of vandalised NITEL cable, five hammers, four jackknives and six saw blades.

The suspects confessed to have been stealing Nitel cable for the past one year. He recounted how they have been trained as cable thieves by their master:

“Emeka introduced me into the business in January 2012, and I served him before I set up my team last year December, and we had only succeeded on three occasions before our arrest.

 

“I always hire a tipper truck driver who would tie a thick wire to his truck and the head of the cable and pull the cable from underground, while about six labourers who are experts in cutting cables would cut the cable and load them into waiting buses.  I would pay them and we normally operate along Broad Street and Kakawa Street area of Lagos Island between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

“On different occasions, I have sold vandalised cables for N2 million, N3 million and N5 million to Dongo at Oyingbo area of Mainland and Emeka at Ojota, but I spent my share in drinking beer and sleeping with prostitutes at Ijora Badia railway line, and we have been arrested on two occasions.”

The accused who have been charged to court pleaded not guilty to the charge and magistrate Mrs. C.J. Momodu admitted them to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

They have however been moved to Ikoyi Prison pending when they would fulfill their bail conditions.

For more details click HERE 

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