‘Policeman’ Arrested While Attempting To Steal Electricity Cable

A man parading himself as a serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force has been arrested while attempting to steal an electricity cable from a transformer.

According to the Abia State command of the force, the suspect, Francis Williams, 34, was arrested on September 11, 2023, by men from Ndiegoro Divisional Police headquarters while trying to cart away the cables belonging to the Enugu State Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), in Aba.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, ASP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, who announced the arrests on Wednesday, on behalf of the State’s Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, said the suspect was a former police officer who was dismissed from the service.

ASP Chinaka explained that the dismissed officer was dressed in a Police camouflage with a fez cap, while also holding a fake warrant card when he was apprehended. She noted that Williams has since been charged to court.

Giving further details of several arrests made by the command in recent operations, the ASP said the command also arrested a 35-year-old Chukwuemeka London, (male), on September 20, 2023, for unlawful possession of firearms.

According to the PPRO, London was arrested after a report was made at Ugwunagbo Police Station against him. One locally-made long single-barrel gun and one locally-made short single-barrel gun were recovered from him.

Abia Police also said that its detectives raided Ehere Secondary School at Aba following credible intelligence.

During the raid at the suspected criminal hideout, some suspects, who included Kelechi Kalu (male, 25 years), Nnanna Nwogu (male, 35 years), One Chika Ugochukwu (male, 33 years), Ndubuisi Chikere (male, 38 years), Check Bowel (male, 45 years), Ugochukwu Monday (male, 20 years) Grace Chika (female, 27 years), and Owe Mary (female, 20 years), were arrested.

Also, a large number of weeds, suspected to be Indian hemp, and some quantities of Tramadol tablets, Tiazopam tablets, Refnor tablets and Simnor tablets were recovered from the suspects.

“The suspects have been charged to court after a thorough investigation and were remanded accordingly”, the statement said.

In the same vein, the Abia Police Command said personnel from the Counter-Terrorist Unit on September 24, 2023, intercepted a tricycle with five-male occupants, namely Chinedu Ukachukwu (male), 23 years, Chibueze Nwokocha (male), 25 years, Steve Okafor (male) 17 years Uche Awa (male) 23 years and Chisom Chijioke (male) 17 years.

It said that a search led to the discovery of a cut-to-size locally fabricated single-barrel shotgun loaded with live cartridges.

The statement said the case is under investigation by the Monitoring Unit, Umuahia.