TheCable

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says security operatives have arrested three suspected underground electric cable thieves at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

In a statement on Friday, Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua, FAAN’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, said the suspects were caught in the authority’s training school on Friday.

Yakubu-Funtua said the suspects were nabbed by a patrol team of officers from the aviation security’s crime investigation and intelligence(CII) unit, and the joint military task force (JMTF).

“Two of the suspects were caught at about 03:52 hours today while digging and cutting electric cables connecting the MMIA to the domestic terminal (MMA),” the statement reads.

“The third suspect, who serves as a link between the two other suspects and buyers at Arena Market, Oshodi, was apprehended at exactly 05:56 hours, at Hajj & Cargo Terminal following confessions made by the two other suspects.

“Ongoing investigation revealed that one of the suspects was convicted and sentenced to 28 days imprisonment for a similar offence, sometime in April, 2022.

“The suspects are presently being interrogated by officials of FAAN aviation security (AVSEC) after which they will be handed over to the police for prosecution.”

On July 21, TheCable reported that the aviation authority caught some suspects in the same act.

Prior to that, FAAN had announced that the airfield ground lighting systems recently installed at the domestic runway (18L/36R) of MMIA in Lagos, were taken by suspected thieves.