Police arrest man for stealing electricity cable in Eket – Official

The police in Akwa Ibom State said they have arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly stealing Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) armoured cable at Eket, Eket Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket on Tuesday.

Mr MacDon, a superintendent of police, said the suspect was caught by members of the community at the Stadium Road in Eket on Sunday.

He said the culprit stole the PHED armoured cable along Church Road.

“On Sunday, July 11, at about 7: 40 a.m., we received a report from a PHEDC Staff that at about 4:04 a.m., of the same date, one suspect was caught with an armoured cable wire by members of the community at Stadium Road in Eket,” Mr MacDon said.

The suspect was almost lynched by a mob before he was rescued by some community elders who handed him over to the police.

Mr MacDon said the suspect confessed to the crime and has given useful information about other accomplices currently at large.

“The Commissioner of Police in the state, Amiengheme Andrew, has commended the vigilance and efforts of members of the community in Eket for their swift action,” he said.

He assured that the police would expedite action on the investigations, and that the suspect would be charged soon.

A resident of Eket said that the suspect has been known by members of the community for his “nefarious activities”.

“He first went to Afaha Ukwa Street in Eket to steal armoured cable and disconnected the transformer on Friday, and between Saturday night and Sunday morning, he went to cut the armoured cable.

“And later proceeded to cut another armoured cable in Edem Udoh Street. While stealing it, some youths in the area caught him and drew the attention of the PHED staff,” the resident said.(NAN)

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