Police Arrest 8 Over Transformer Theft In Edo

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested eight suspects over the alleged stealing of transformers, 12 tyres and a truck in Edo State.

The suspects, Frances Okafor, Okorie Ekene Onyedika,  Lazarus Ifeanyi, 36,  Nnamdi Osita, 43, Celestial Eze 47,  Lucky Nwosu, 44, Obidiwe Ekene, 43 and Uche Onu, 22 were alleged to have stolen two electrical transformers and other items at Evbuomoma Community, Benin City.

The state Police Commissioner, Funsho Adegboye, said one Collins Oboh Osamuyimen petitioned the police that unknown armed men invaded Colosa Concrete Pole Company located in Evbuomoma Community, Benin, tied the security guards and stole two electrical transformers, one long Scania truck and 12 tyres to an unknown destination.

He said the investigation led to the arrest of Lazarus Ifeanyi, in Onitsha in Anambra State who confessed that he bought the stolen truck from one Okorie Ekene Onyedika who specialises in butchering stolen trucks and other vehicles for sale.

He said the suspect also confessed that he bought the newly branded Scania trucks with 12 tyres capacity from One Frances Okafor and mentioned four other members of his gang who were also arrested in the Onitsha axis of Anambra State.

He said the suspects also confessed to being a notorious armed robbery gang that robbed empty gas cylinders in Akure, Ondo State, but offloaded the items at Iyana Ipaja, Lagos by their gang leader, Frances Okafor’s brother who owns a shop at the place in Lagos.

He added that the suspects were preparing for another robbery in Imo State before their arrest.

Adegboye said the suspects would be charged to court soon.

Source: Daily Trust