By Ruth Chukwuemeka

THE shout of thief thief thief! rent the air in the quiet neighbourhood of  Ilogbo-Ilemba Street in the densely-populated Ajangbadi area of Ojo, Lagos, Monday. Time was 11p.m. At the same time, a youngman was seen running away. The man, who was later identified as Waheed Razaq, was discovered to be about to steal a power generating set.

Residents of the area, as gathered, had on several occasions, stolen their power generating sets. Most times, the residents would notice that their generating sets would stop  abruptly, thereby plunging them into darkness. Apparently thinking there could have been a technical fault or that the fuel had been exhausted, they would go to where the generating sets were mounted only to discover that they had been stolen!

Following this disturbing trend, some of the residents resorted to chaining the generating sets while some built cages for them. But the unrepentant thieves managed to break some of the cages and made away with the generating sets.

*Waheed Razaq – The suspect

On Monday, Crime Alert gathered that hardly had one of the residents, identified simply as Taofeek, put on his generating set, no thanks to epileptic power experienced in the area, than the obvious occurred. Immediately, the father of two, who had retired to bed at 11 p.m, noticed that the generating set had gone off, he reportedly rushed outside, only to discover that his generating set was gone! While conducting a search, he allegedly stumbled on Razaq, with the generating set in his hand.

Taofeek said: “When I asked him where he was taking it to, he told me he saw some boys dragging it away and he challenged them. At first, I was curious. But as I made to collect it from him, he bolted away and I raised an alarm, consequent upon which he was caught.”

Crime Alert gathered that Razaq was beaten to coma after which he was dragged to the head of the vigilante group, one Alhaji Saka. Other residents, whose generating sets had been stolen, reportedly thronged Saka’s abode, declaring that Razaq be forced to pay them. Members of the vigilante group reportedly took Razaq to his apartment, where some generating sets suspected to have been stolen, were found. Not a few of the residents identified theirs.

During interrogation, the 27-year-old Razaq reportedly told the crowd that some of the stolen sets were sold at give-away-prices. On his modus operandi, he said, “I usually wait for the owners to put on the generating sets. What I do is to lift it from where it is kept and move it to a distance, from where I can easily escape.

At times, I add my wire to it.  I do not switch it off before lifting it. But when I get to a safe distance, I will switch it off and immediately bolt away.  I have  succeeded in stealing one today before coming here. This is my second attempt. I only go for I- better-pass-my-neighbour generator (referring to the smallest size) and I usually sell them at give-away-prices. I know God wants me to stop that is why I was arrested.”