RULAAC petitions Nigerian police for probe into telecom vandalism case

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, requesting an independent investigation into the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Lagos. The petition concerns the handling of a telecommunications vandalism case involving the alleged theft of equipment valued at approximately ₦150 million.

The case originated from a petition by Plutolord Solicitors on behalf of ATC Telecommunications Nationwide, alleging attacks on facilities in Lagos and the South-East. Police subsequently arrested four suspects and recovered various items, including solar batteries and surveillance cameras.

However, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, has raised concerns regarding the investigation's integrity. The advocacy group is calling for a probe conducted outside the current investigative team to examine the provenance of the petitions, the origin of the seized equipment, and allegations of improper financial demands, insider collaboration, or retaliation against individuals seeking intervention.