A 29-year-old man, Yakubu Ibrahim, and his accomplice were arrested by men of the Ilasamaja Police Division in Lagos State for allegedly sneaking into an estate in the area to steal an internal unit of an air conditioner.That the suspect carried out the act in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to a police source, Ibrahim sneaked into the estate, disconnected the AC but was caught while trying to escape with it.

Our correspondent gathered that security operatives guarding the estate succeeded in arresting the suspect around 5:30 a.m. and handed him to the police.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The man had disconnected the AC when he was caught. He was trying to sneak out of the estate. The security suspected him and arrested him.

He was arrested and handed to the police afterwards and he confessed to have been stealing ACs from the estate.”

The police source further said the suspect was interrogated and he confessed to have recently sold two other units of an internal AC to a buyer.

“During police interrogation, Ibrahim confessed to have been stealing ACs. He led the police to his receiver.

“Their additional units of internal air conditioners were recovered from Yakubu, who bears the same surname but claims not to be related to the alleged thief.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, when contacted by our correspondent on Sunday.

He said, “We got the distress call in the early hours of Wednesday that someone broke into the estate and stole an air conditioner and our patrol team responded swiftly. The man was arrested with the one unit of internal AC which he stole from the estate.

“He also led the police to the receiver whom he had been selling the stolen ACs to at a cheaper price. The accomplice was arrested with three additional units of internal air conditioners.

“The suspects are currently in police custody and are currently being interrogated.

“The four units of internal ACs have been recovered and investigation continues to uncover and arrest other accomplices,” he said.

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