Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, have arrested a 17-year-old suspected serial cable thief after he was electrocuted while trying to vandalise a transformer in Akure, the state capital.
The Amotekun Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, revealed that the suspect, Sunday Adegbulu, is a Junior Secondary School III student of the Commercial Secondary School, Akure, who belonged to a cartel specialised in vandalising electricity transformers and stealing cables.
"Unfortunately, while cutting the cables, electricity was supplied and burnt half of his body," Adeleye said.
The Amotekun commander stated that the suspect was rushed to three different hospitals, and upon hearing about the incident, Amotekun operatives trailed him to another location where his gang members moved him, as they allegedly planned to kill him to prevent him from revealing his sponsors.
"We had to revive him, brought him to the health facility of the corps, and we spent a lot of money to make him come back to life. He was able to tell us nine other gang members, including their godfather, who is on the run. We are the trail of the godfather," Adeleye added.
The suspect, Adegbulu, confessed to being part of a three-man gang specialised in stealing electric cables and selling them for different amounts to make gains. He claimed it was his second operation, and he never knew there would be an electricity supply at the time.
Adegbulu's arrest comes as many local communities in Ondo State have been plunged into darkness, mostly due to the activities of vandals. Last week, members of the Irese, Aaye, and Ikota communities in Ifedore Local Government Area experienced an erratic power supply after vandals stole cables from the step-down/transformer supplying the three towns.
The Amotekun corps also arrested 44 other suspects, including a suspected kidnapper who had been terrorising members of some communities in the state. The Amotekun boss pleaded with the state residents to always provide timely information on criminal activities in their domain, assuring that suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.