The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Saturday paraded three suspected telecommunication vandals who disguised as engineers to steal masts’ backup batteries belonging to telecommunication firms in the state.
Addressing journalists at the command’s headquarters, Uyo, the state capital while parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, said six mast backup batteries and a Toyota Camry used for their criminal activities were recovered.
The police boss, who said they were arrested on March 21, 2023, by the command’s Eagle Response Squad after credible information, listed the suspects to include Chinwe Nwabara, Bright Godswill and Chinedu Nweke.
According to him, the suspects who disguised as engineers drove in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry car with number plate No KJA 321 FS and stole equipment valued at over N1.6m before they were arrested.
Durosinmi said, “On March 21, 2023, around 5pm, based on a reliable report that hoodlums who disguised as engineers drove with an ash-coloured Toyota Camry with number plate KJA 321 FS, around Uyo, Abak, Oron and Okobo locations, vandalised and stole mast back-up batteries belonging to telecommunication firms valued at N1.6m, a painstaking investigation by Eagle Response Squad of the command led to the arrest of three suspects namely Chinwe Nwabara, Bright Godswill and Chinedu Nweke.
“Six mast backup batteries and the Toyota Camry used for their criminal activities were recovered.”
The CP who also paraded other suspects explained that the synergy between the police and other sister agencies during the period helped the police to record the feat.
He said four suspects who kidnapped a retired permanent secretary in the state, Ignatius Brown of Abak Local Government Area and demanded a ransom of N80m were also arrested.
He said family members, out of desperation, gathered some money and paid the suspects but police operatives were able to trace the kidnappers’ hideout, rescued the victim and arrested some suspects.
He said one locally-made pistol and three wooden guns were recovered from the suspects.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Sunday Ekwere, confessed to having received N850,000 from the ransom they collected.
