The Nigeria Police Force in Akwa Ibom State announced it has recovered suspected stolen goods and vandalised transformer cables after suspected criminals abandoned a vehicle and fled during a police operation in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Uyo.
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Ms John, a deputy superintendent of police, said the operation followed credible intelligence received by the police at about 11:45 p.m. on 12 May concerning a suspicious vehicle allegedly moving around the area.
According to her, operatives were immediately deployed to the scene.
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“On sighting the approaching police patrol team from a distance, the occupants of the suspicious vehicle abandoned it and fled in different directions into nearby bushes,” she said.
She added that the operatives pursued the suspects, but they escaped due to the terrain and darkness.
The police spokesperson said a search of the abandoned vehicle, described as a dark green Ford bus with registration number SMK 438 XA Lagos, led to the recovery of 40 pieces of 25-litre containers containing red oil suspected to have been stolen from a shop.
She said the operatives also recovered three coils of transformer copper wire suspected to have been vandalised from electricity transformers, as well as cutters, spanners and other tools allegedly used for vandalism.
Ms John said preliminary investigation showed that the recovered items were allegedly stolen and vandalised from locations within Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.
She said the owner of the red oil, identified simply as Sunday, later arrived at the police station and identified the items after reportedly discovering that his shop had been burgled.
“The exhibits have since been recovered to the station for safekeeping, while frantic efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects,” she said.
The latest incident adds to growing concerns over the vandalism of public infrastructure in Akwa Ibom State, particularly electricity facilities and transformers.
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In February, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom threatened to withdraw official recognition from village heads in communities where government facilities are vandalised.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported previous arrests connected to vandalism in the state, including the arrest of suspected vandals allegedly found with electricity cables and other equipment in Uyo.
The police said investigation into the latest incident was ongoing.
The command called on residents to continue providing timely information to aid crime prevention across the state.
