How suspect conspired with 3 guards to steal N12.7m cables

A police inspector attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja, yesterday, told an FCT High Court in Apo how three security guards conspired with a suspect, who is at large, to steal electrical cables worth N12.7 million. The security guards: Abdullahi Ahmed, Augustine Oliver and Haruna Labaran, are being tried before the court […]

A police inspector attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja, yesterday, told an FCT High Court in Apo how three security guards conspired with a suspect, who is at large, to steal electrical cables worth N12.7 million.

The security guards: Abdullahi Ahmed, Augustine Oliver and Haruna Labaran, are being tried before the court on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft. Led in evidence by Barrister John Ijagbemi as the second prosecution witness, the Inspector, Fidelis Omini, told the court that on August 9, 2016, two staff of Nubell Nigeria Limitedd, a construction company in Jabi, Abuja, reported a case of theft to the police.

Insp. Omini said one of the complainants, Mustapha Ahmed, the store keeper of the company, reported that he discovered some electrical cables in the storeroom of the company worth N12.7m were stolen and that he suspected the cleaner, one Mohammed Bakura (at large), to be responsible because he (Bakura) had the keys to all the rooms in the company.

When the case was referred for investigation, the scene of crime was visited and Bakura’s statement was taken, Omini said, adding that Bakura confessed to have committed the offence of theft and mentioned that he usually used his Golf car to load the cables and when going the security guards (the defendants) would not search his car.

Bakura allegedly confessed that he had used that approach 10 times to steal the cables, adding that he gave the three defendants N150,000 each as their share of the loot. He was also said to have confessed to have used some of the loot to purchase a MACK truck for N1.1m and a plot of land in Maiduguri, Borno State, at N850,000.

Insp. Omini said when the three defendants were interviewed, they confessed to have had the knowledge of the stolen cables by Bakura but denied that Bakura offered them N150,000 each insisting that N30,000 each was given to them.

He said the truck and a laptop were recovered from Bakura and were later released to the company on bond. The cautionary statements made by the complainant, Bakura, and the three defendants, were admitted as evidence. The trial judge, Justice Angela Otaluka, adjourned the matter to June 26, 2019, for cross examination.