The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspected telecommunications vandals and recovered a truckload of suspected stolen iron rods in the state’s Ibeju-Lekki area.

The suspects were allegedly caught stealing iron poles intended for the construction of telecommunications masts before they were arrested while transporting the items in a truck, the police said in a statement on Saturday.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, named the suspects as Mohammed Shaibu, 26; Musa Zakari, 29; Abdullahi Bala, 22; Salisu Musa, 18; and Yahuza Bala, 20.

Adebisi said the suspects were in police custody and under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, while a discreet investigation was ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and establish the full extent of their activities.

She said the operation, carried out as part of the command’s intensified efforts to curb vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure across Lagos, was supported by the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, reiterated the command’s resolve to protect critical infrastructure and bring perpetrators of vandalism to justice, and urged residents to promptly report suspicious activities in their communities.

Members of the public were encouraged to report emergencies through the command’s emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, 08080193432 (Marine), and 09168630929. (The Nation)