Ekiti: Vigilant Youths Arrest Suspected Electric Cable Thief

By Ayodele Oni

A suspected electric cable thief posing as a scavenger, was unlucky as he was caught by vigilant youths in Ekiti State.

The incident happened at Odo Ayedun, country home of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye.

The Speaker had replaced some of the stolen cables before Yuletide to ensure that the people did not celebrate in darkness.

Reacting to the incident, Aribasoye, advised residents of the state to complement the efforts of security agencies with community vigilance and intelligence gathering.

Aribasoye applauded the residents of the area for keeping a keen watch over their immediate vicinity, noting that security agencies alone could not sufficiently secure all areas.

The suspect, who was publicly paraded through the town carrying the stolen cables on his head before being taken into custody by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, identified himself as Oseni.

During his visit to his constituency in December, the Speaker had charged the youths and residents of the area to intensify community security efforts following cases of theft of transformer cables, transformer oil, and other items, which had led to a blackout in the area.

The Speaker, who found the condition of the people unpleasant during the festive period, ordered the purchase of some transformer cables after earlier replacing the stolen transformer oil, both gestures costing millions of naira.

Members of the community said the suspect, who is not of Southwest ethnic background, had been living in the community for close to five years, masking his criminal activities by claiming to be a metal scraper and scavenger.

Special Adviser (Media) to the Speaker, Babajide Agbeyo in a statement disclosed that the state House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee regulating the activities of scrappers met with their relevant associations late last year, with a view to reach a consensus on laws to be made to check criminal elements hiding under the practice.

The Assembly Speaker assured that the legislative arm would continue to make and amend laws to ensure local security initiatives are strengthened and conventional security outfits supported.