Telecom equipment theft: RULAAC demands independent police probe

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for an independent investigation into the arrest and public parade of four persons by the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, over alleged vandalism and theft of telecommunications equipment valued at N150m.

RULAAC, in a statement by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, on Sunday, called for a prompt and impartial investigation to be conducted outside the immediate investigative team handling the case

The group cited allegations surrounding the petitions that triggered the probe, the provenance of the recovered equipment, alleged damage to CCTV cameras and possible retaliation against a businessman who sought the organisation’s intervention.

The group, however, said it was not seeking to shield anyone found culpable of vandalism, robbery, theft or knowingly receiving stolen property.

“RULAAC has consequently petitioned the Inspector-General of Police requesting a prompt, independent and impartial investigation conducted outside the immediate investigative team whose conduct forms part of the allegations.

“The organisation said the independent probe should establish the chronology and provenance of the petitions, examine an earlier case handled by the police involving some of the parties, determine whether CCTV equipment was damaged during the operation, trace the origin of the seized telecommunications equipment and investigate allegations of improper financial demands, insider collaboration and retaliation,” the statement read.

The development followed a briefing by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the FCID Annex, Lagos, Simeon Akpanudom, who said the department received 1,816 complaints between June 25 and September 18, 2026.

According to him, 1,803 of the complaints were referred for investigation, while nine were referred to various state Commissioners of Police and police formations for action, and four were declined as civil matters.

He said 24 cases had been concluded and processed in various courts, while other cases were at different stages of investigation, legal vetting and advice.

Among the cases highlighted by the AIG was the arrest of four persons, including a 17-year-old, over alleged vandalism and theft of telecommunications equipment valued at about N150m.

Akpanudom said the FCID received a petition on August 11 from Plutolord Solicitors on behalf of ATC Telecommunications Nationwide, alleging that armed persons attacked, robbed and vandalised telecommunications facilities in parts of Lagos and the South-East between March and May 2026.

He said the suspects, Abuchi Odikemere, 29; Anyanwu Emmanuel, 28; Kayode Segun, 28; and Emmanuel Chineku, 17, were arrested at a shop at No. 12 Pastor Alabi Close, Kosofe, Lagos.

According to him, two surveillance cameras, 52 solar batteries, one hammer, one chisel, three small solar panels and two solar meters were recovered from the suspects.

“Efforts are ongoing to dismantle and apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate, while the suspects in custody will be charged in court on relevant charges,” he said.

However, RULAAC said information obtained from interviews with one of the businessmen linked to the arrest and other persons involved in the matter had raised questions requiring independent verification.

“We interviewed Chika Onwa Odo, at whose business premises some of the suspects were arrested, and he denied involvement in vandalism or knowingly dealing in stolen telecommunications equipment.

“Odo said he trades in used and decommissioned inverter and telecommunications batteries obtained from different sources, including markets and persons involved in the resale and disposal of used equipment,” the statement said.

The group acknowledged that Odo might not have receipts or complete documentary records establishing the source of some of the goods, but argued that the absence of receipts alone did not establish that the equipment was stolen or that those arrested participated in the alleged attacks.

It therefore urged investigators to establish whether the recovered batteries and other items could be traced through serial numbers, inventories, tracking records or other objective evidence to specific telecommunications facilities that were vandalised.

RULAAC also called for investigators to establish when and where the alleged attacks occurred and what evidence directly linked each suspect to the incidents.

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The group further raised questions about the timing and origin of petitions allegedly submitted in connection with the case.

“We received allegations that the police operation may initially have arisen from information supplied by an informant and that additional petitions involving other telecommunications interests emerged after questions were raised about the complainants and evidential basis of the operation,” it stated.

RULAAC stressed that it was not presenting allegations that some petitions were retrospectively procured or backdated as facts.

It nevertheless said the claims could be independently verified from police records showing when each petition was written, received, stamped and assigned for investigation.

“The publicly reported FCID account specifically states that the ATC petition was received on 11 August 2026. That chronology should therefore form part of any independent review,” the organisation said.

RULAAC also called for the retrieval of an earlier case allegedly involving Odo and an individual he identified as being behind the current allegations.

According to the organisation, Odo alleged that he had previously been arrested over similar claims involving batteries said to belong to ATC, detained and subsequently charged to court.

He further alleged that the complainant later stopped attending court proceedings, causing the case to stall, and that he had been threatened with imprisonment if he continued his battery business.

RULAAC said the allegations should be verified by retrieving the previous police investigation file and court records.

The group also alleged that some officers involved in the investigation became angry after Odo approached RULAAC and the organisation began asking questions about the case.

It said there were allegations that subsequent actions were partly motivated by a desire to “deal with” Odo for seeking outside scrutiny.

RULAAC said no citizen should face retaliation for approaching a lawyer, human rights organisation or senior police authority over perceived misconduct.

It also said its intervention was not intended to obstruct a legitimate investigation or prevent prosecution where evidence established culpability.

The organisation said it had contacted AIG Akpanudom before the suspects were publicly paraded and urged him to personally hear Odo’s account alongside the information available to his officers.

It expressed concern that the suspects were presented publicly as members of a syndicate while questions surrounding the investigation remained unresolved.

RULAAC warned that public parades should not create an institutional commitment to a particular version of events or prevent investigators from following evidence that could point in a different direction.

It called on the IGP to preserve all relevant evidence, protect parties and witnesses against retaliation and ensure that any criminal, disciplinary or administrative action arising from the independent investigation was based on its findings.

The group said it would support prosecution if credible evidence established that Odo, his workers or any other person participated in the alleged vandalism, robbery, theft or knowing receipt of stolen telecommunications equipment.

It added that if the investigation instead established that police processes were manipulated, complaints were manufactured or backdated, evidence destroyed, police powers abused for extortion or private interests, or a citizen retaliated against for seeking assistance, those responsible should equally be held accountable.