Connect with us
Advertisement

Gist

Professor’s Son, Others Arrested For Stealing Hilux Engine At UNICAL

Published

on

Professor’s Son, Others Arrested For Stealing Hilux Engine At UNICAL
University of Calabar gate - UNICAL
Advertisement

Security personnel at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River, have reiterated their commitment to maintaining zero crime in the institution of learning and its environs after arresting a professor’s son and two others over theft.

Reports said for about two weeks until the recent development, the security men have been on the trail of suspects involved in the stealing of a Toyota Hilux engine at the varsity staff quarters.

After a deep search, the engine worth N2 million was traced to the buyer and individuals involved in the stealing of the same, Naija News understands.

It was reported that the suspects were apprehended by the varsity’s security personnel led by the Chief Security Officer, Cpt Augustine Bisong (retd), last weekend.

Advertisement

Narrating the event, Bisong told newsmen that the engine was bought to replace a bad one in the vehicle of a principal officer of the university before it was stolen from the mechanic workshop in the staff quarters.

He added that when they got a call that the engine was missing they swung into action to recover it after it had been sold.

He said the suspects had identified the buyer and other accomplices.

Advertisement

Bisong named a professor’s son, Jerry and two other suspects, David and Paul, as culprits in the theft.

He said: “The buyer of the ‘tokunbo’ Toyota Hilux engine at Bogobri and the vehicle/driver used in moving the engine out from the university have been identified.

“So far, we have arrested three persons, we are also on the trail of other suspects involved in the engine theft and other related damage to the critical infrastructure of the university.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“The ones arrested have been terrorising members of the university community, stealing car batteries, armoured cables and vandalising street lights to get their batteries.

“We have been on surveillance for two weeks after the Hilux engine was stolen, and we have been on their trail before they were arrested. They have also named their receiver, a businessman in the popular Bogobiri community of Hausa/ Fulani in Calabar.

“We will hand them over to the security agency for onward prosecution of the matter, but we want to seize this opportunity to warn all those who are in the university community who feel they can commit a crime and go scot-free, our vigilant eyes are watching. We shall smoke them all out.”

Bisong stressed that the security personnel at the university will leave no stone unturned in dealing with criminality.

He assured inhabitants to go about their lawful business without fear, saying they have the school community covered.

Speaking about their arrest, the suspects said they thought the engine was scrap metal that was no longer useful.

One of them, David who claimed to be from Benue and resides at the University Staff Quarters with his mother who is a potter in one of the hostels, said, “We took the engine to Bogobiri. We sold it for N30,000 because we thought it was scrap metal. I am sorry because I will never get involved in such again.”