Vigilante operatives have shot dead a suspected vandal in Anambra State after he attempted to flee from the operatives.
The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Friday, said the yet-to-be-identified suspect was initially arrested on Thursday by vigilante operatives in the state.
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How the suspect was shot dead
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the operatives, during their routine patrol, accosted the suspect and three others carrying a black bag
“On sighting the security operatives, three of the suspects fled, while the fourth suspect, whose name and address are yet to be verified, was apprehended with the bag,” he said.
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The spokesperson said a search of the suspect’s bag revealed tools used for vandalising and stealing electricity installations.
He listed some of the tools as assorted colours of armoured cables cut-to-size, a big yellow iron cutter, a black iron cutter, an ash-coloured glass cutter, a black hand glove and a yellow hand glove.
Others were a black sling, a bag containing a yellow background long-sleeve shirt, a bunch of two keys and a pair of rubber slippers.
Mr Ikenga said the suspect was immediately arrested, and that he later attempted to escape by jumping down from a storey building while being taken to a police facility along with the recovered items.
“In the process of re-arresting him, he sustained gunshot injuries.
“He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead,” he stated.
“His body has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy.”
Arrest of other suspected vandals
Mr Ikenga said, in a separate operation earlier on Thursday, police operatives arrested three suspected vandals of power installations in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The spokesperson said the suspects were arrested when the operatives raided the suspects’ hideout in the area.
He identified the arrested suspects as Adamu Ali, 25, Usman Sulaiman, 22, and Isah Abdullahi, 26 – all males.
“The operatives also recovered from them bags of high-tension cable wires, melted cable wires and parts of transformer equipment.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are part of a syndicate that specialises in vandalising and selling power installations, with Lagos identified as their major sales outlet,” he said.
Investigation
Mr Ikenga said all the recovered exhibits were now in police custody and that the weapons used by the vigilante operatives had been secured.
The spokesperson said the police had launched an investigation into the two operations.
He said efforts were also ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and recover more of the stolen items.
Mr Ikenga said the police in the state again warned that they would fish out criminals engaging in sabotage of public utilities.
He said the police in the state have urged Anambra residents to remain vigilant and report to security operatives suspicious activities around power installations.
READ ALSO: Electricity company apologises for frequent power outages
Like Anambra, like Abia
Cases of vandalism and theft of equipment in power installations have increased in the South-east in recent times.
The latest incident occurred barely 24 hours after a yet-to-be-identified male vandal died from electrocution in Abia State.
The deceased vandal was believed to have been electrocuted while allegedly trying to steal wires from a transformer in the area.
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