Traditional Ruler, Retired Police Officer Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Transformers

The arrest of a retired police officer identified as Onugh and a traditional ruler of Ipene community in the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Paulinus Ogbor was confirmed by the Ebonyi State Police Command on Monday.

The duo were arrested for allegedly stealing three transformers.

The spokesperson of the command, DSP Loveth Odah, while speaking with Punch claimed that they were arrested by men of the 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Calabar, at Unwana in the Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Friday and were handed over to the police for investigation.

A report into the incident has it that the transformers that were stolen belong to Umuolo, Etana, Ubum, Edu, Ibini, Afono, Urugbam, Ipene and Egbor communities in the Biase Local Government Area.

A further report into their arrest has it that the duo are from Ipene.

The suspects were reported to have approached the army post in the area for cover on the pretext that they wanted to take the transformers to the owner in Calabar but were arrested in Unwana while they were trying to move the transformers to where it would be sold on Friday around 11:30 pm.

Ogbor and Onugh were taken to the headquarters of the Ebonyi State Police Command for interrogation.

A source had stated that the Nigerian Army allowed the suspects to move with the transformers after they had claimed that the officials of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company were aware of their action.

“Chief Paulinus from the Ipene community came and met us here. I was already sleeping when he came. Before then, I had told my boys that I didn’t want to see them because I knew their problem. He came with the OC Mopol and the officer called me and said the chief wanted to see me.”

“They said there was going to be an attack on the community and I said I would find out. Secondly, the chief said he had transformers under his care and that the contractor wanted to carry them and that I should allow my boys not to disturb them.”

“I said okay, the transformers are under your care and since the contractor you are talking about has papers that he actually owns the transformers, no problem and that if the EEDC people were aware of the transformers, then our men would allow them to go.”

“That very night, they left with the transformers, but I got a call that the police intercepted them at Unwana in Ebonyi State. I said how? They said the whole thing was suspicious. Later, another person called and said they had gone to steal the transformers belonging to communities in the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State.”

The Police Command in Ebonyi State noted that the duo had been moved to the Zone 6 headquarters in Calabar for further investigation.