PHCN Manager, Others Arrested For Alleged Cable Theft

The eight men were said to have been nabbed following a tip-
off from residents that some vandals were tampering with the
PHCN installations at Nung Oku in Ibesikpo/Asutan Local
Government Area.
It was learnt that the service manager, Ibesikpo/Asutan LGA's
PHCN office was arrested for alleged complicity in the crime.
The command's head, Public Relations/Protocol, Mr. Ime
White, told PUNCH Metro in Uyo on Monday that following
the tip-off, the state commandant of the agency, Mr. Pedro
Ideba, quickly mobilised patrol teams to the area.
He explained that the command's prompt action was also
necessitated by the fear that if the vandals were quacks, they
could be electrocuted.
White said following the arrest of the suspects, the command
impounded the truck they were using, which had PHCN label
indicating that the vandals were from the Port Harcourt
district.
He noted that investigation, however, revealed that though the
vandals posed as PHCN workers, none had ever worked with
the parastatal.
He added that NSCDC had impounded feeder cables,
insulators, ladder and other working tools recovered from the
suspects.
He said, "We discovered a purported contract of transplanting
poles being undertaken by one Jenkins International Limited.
"It was the duty of the service manager, PHCN, Ibesikpo/
Asutan LGA, to have notified the Uyo District of such jobs,
but that did not happen.
"Upon the arrest of the suspects, we discovered that the truck
they were using had PHCN label that has to do with metering
project of Port Harcourt district and not Akwa Ibom.
Although they posed as PHCN workers, we discovered that
none of them worked with the company. Feeder cables,
insulators, ladders and other working tools, were all
impounded here."