By Albert Akpor

Some stolen items recovered by Police. INSET: Two of the suspects

An end may be in sight to the perennial network problems encountered by Global System Mobile Communication (GSM) subscribers in the Lagos area, going by the recent clamp down on members of a syndicate which specialised in vandalising and removing GSM masts and their batteries. Three members of the syndicate were recently apprehended by men of the Nigeria Police. The detectives who nabbed the suspects were led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Festac Division, Mr. Usman Ndanbabo. They (detectives) acting on a tip- off, swooped on some members of this notorious gang at their hideout in Iba, a suburb in Lagos metropolis and arrested the trio who gave their names as IK, Augustin Ufundu and Akaeme Johnpaul. Vanguard Metro learnt that the vandalised cables and batteries have ready buyers at the popular Alaba International market in Ojo. Whereas the service provider(s) pay huge sums of money to security men guarding the installations, Vanguard Metro gathered that the vandalism and sale of these GSM equipment were facilitated by the same security guards. The stolen equipment, according to police sources, are re-branded and sold at reduced prices to companies who have need of them.

Speaking to Vanguard Metro on his alleged involvement in the crime, Augustin Ufundu, a 43- year -old driver from Orafite,in Anambra State, confessed taking part in the crime but added that his duty was only to drive away any stolen items from the scene. Ufundu who is father of three, attributed his woes to the ghost of his late wife. “Let me tell you that I am a lucky man; I have been very lucky in life because whatever I lay my hands on, prospers. But my predicament started when I lost my wife three years ago. The woman’s spirit has been tormenting me. I was even told that before she died, she initiated our only daughter into her cult; we have two boys and a girl,” he said.

Continuing, the suspect who claimed to know IK and Biggy, said he didn’t know the other accused person. “It is true that I know IK and Biggy but I don’t know Austin. Biggy was my customer and comes regularly to hire my truck. I am a professional driver. I took to driving about 20 years ago after I dropped out of secondary school. Since then, life has been fair to me. I have even sponsored some people to travel abroad and they are showing me appreciation for the gesture. One of them sent me a 2004 model Camry car which I am presently using. I have never been involved in crime until I got married recently to another woman, three years after my first wife died. She appears always in my dreams. I think she did not want me to remarry. So when they hire my truck, I go to wherever they keep their goods to convey them to their destinations. Honestly, I did not initially know that the cables and batteries were stolen items until one day we went to Okene along the expressway where Biggy ordered me to park and wait for them. But when I became curious, I went into the bus and discovered that the security guard was telling them to tie him to the base of the mast to give an impression of being overpowered. I did not care much because they always paid my bills at the end of the deal. But I have never followed them to rob or vandalise a GSM equipment. It was at the police station that I got to know that Biggy and IK were armed robbers and that Biggy had been involved in a shoot-out with the police during which he escaped with bullet wounds. My greatest worry now is what becomes the fate of my children, especially the last one who is a boy. He is just four years old and I do not trust my new wife; she may poison him,” he lamented.

One of the suspects, John Paul Akaeme sees no reason denying his involvement in the crime. He confessed knowing IK, Biggy and others but said he was never part of the gang. The 26-year-old electrical parts dealer at Ojo Alaba who hails from Nnewi, also in Anambra State, said his sin was buying those stolen items from the thieves. “I cannot deny knowing Biggy, IK or even Augustin who is now denying that he does not know me. I know everybody but I do not know that they equally carry arms apart from vandalising GSM masts until one day Biggy called that he was involved in a motor accident and wanted me to come down to Ajangbadi to pick him up. But I told him to pick a drop or even motorbike to any nearby hospital. I later saw him in the market and was told that he had gunshot wounds. All I did was to refer him to a witchdoctor where the bullets were extracted from his limb and arms. I was involved in buying stolen good before, that was about three years ago but because the GSM service provider could not authenticate ownership, the police released the items to me,” he said. Pointing to a generator, the suspect said: “This very generator that brought me here, I bought it from one Mr. Rafiu in Okene. It was sold to me for N350,000.00 and I sold it to another person for N700,000.00. However, I did not know that it belonged to a GSM service provider because the man that sold it to me claimed to have bought it from a company that folded up. What I do not know is how to tell lies; that is why I am telling you that I normally follow Biggy and others to rob.”

The DPO at Festac Police station told Vanguard Metro that the gang was a notorious one, adding that apart from vandalising GSM cables and equipment, they have terrorised Festac Town and environs for quite a long time. He said the Police has since spread its dragnet to ensure that fleeing members of the syndicate, including buyers of vandalised cables and equipment, are nabbed.