Underground armoured cable thief caught at Lagos airport

Barely one month after nearly all the lighting cables at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport were carted away by yet-to-be-identified elements, another cable thief has been caught at the airport.

One of three thieves was caught by the guards on duty at the Nigeria Air Force headquarters gate while digging the underground armoured cable at the airport while the other two escaped”

Confirming the latest incident, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in a statement issued by its director of public affairs and consumer protection, Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua declared: “AT about 01:35hrs on July 21, 2023, the guards on duty at the Nigeria Airforce HQ NADC gate halted three cable thieves along the airport road by NADC perimeter fence who were sighted digging the FAAN underground armoured cable with the aid of a digger, shovel and cutlass.

“On sighting the guards, they took to their heels. A guard however opened fire on them, aiming at the shoulder of Usman Musa. Usman Musa, 28 years old, a native of Adamawa State, residing at Ijora sustained gunshot wounds. He was subsequently arrested and taken to 661NAFH Ikeja.

“He is presently receiving treatment at General Hospital Oyingbo while his other two accomplices escaped. Usman Musa will be properly interrogated after he has stabilised.”

The Authority however believed that this incident could be a relevant clue to unravelling the earlier theft of the Runway Lighting at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport recently.

Recalled that the earlier theft of cable lighting worth several millions of naira at the airport recently led to the suspension of 10 senior officials at the various relevant departments of FAAN while the permanent secretary at the ministry of aviation, Dr Emmanuel Meribole directed a committee set up to investigate the theft.