Two suspects arrested for theft of road signs – Police

The Police Command in Enugu State has detained five suspects in three separate operations involving alleged vandalism and theft of public infrastructure.

The vandalised ‌‌‍‌‍⁠⁠‍‍‍‍⁠‍‌infrastructure included a solar streetlight, road traffic signs and materials belonging to the Enugu State Water Corporation.

This is contained in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday in Enugu.

Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, explained that on 27 September, at about 8:30 p.m., following a tip-off that two men were sighted negotiating the sale of suspected stolen solar streetlights at a scrap dump in Enugu, police operatives mobilised to the location and arrested the suspects.

He said their arrest led to the recovery of the solar streetlight, prompting the police to detain both suspects for theft.

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to vandalising and stealing the solar streetlight earlier that day at Graceland Estate, Independence Layout, Enugu,” he said.

He also said that on 24 September, at about 3:34 a.m., operatives of Abakaliki Road Police Division, acting on a distress alert from the state Command-and-Control Centre, arrested and detained a suspect for removing traffic signs.

“The suspect and an accomplice, who fled the scene, were detected by the security surveillance system while removing the road traffic signs.

“Many vandalised road signs bearing different inscriptions were recovered from the suspect,” he said.

Mr Ndukwe added that in another operation on 15 September, operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested and detained two male suspects.

“The duo were alleged to have conspired to vandalise and steal materials belonging to the state water corporation.

“A bag containing iron materials, bolts and nuts allegedly vandalised and stolen from the corporation were recovered from them,” he said.

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He said efforts were ongoing to arrest other accomplices still at large.

He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, as commending police operatives and supporting neighbourhood watch members for their prompt response leading to the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the vandalised and stolen items.

The commissioner urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information on activities capable of undermining public assets and security.