A 14-year-old boy named Sulaiman Abubakar has been arrested for allegedly stealing cables and wires from the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Adamasingba, Ibadan. The young boy, a Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS 2) student from Eleyele High School, was caught in the act within the stadium on Thursday night.
Security officials at the stadium noticed the teenager during the training session of the Shooting Star Football Club, one of Ibadan’s popular football teams.
According to a security source who spoke with PUNCH, the boy reportedly stayed overnight inside the stadium after the training session. “He (suspect) said, during an interrogation, that he slept in one of the rooms overnight after the security officers securely locked all entrances to the main bowl,” the security source said.
One of the traders, who preferred anonymity, also said, “Upon interrogation, the boy confirmed that he broke the pipes with a big stone to cut the camera cables and wires that connect the canopy light.
“He also admitted that he planned to sell it. And the items stolen, according to people, were estimated to be N300,000.00,” the source told PUNCH.
Further investigations showed that Abubakar had broken pipes with a large stone to steal camera cables and wires used to power the canopy lights in the stadium. According to one of the traders near the stadium, the boy admitted his intentions to sell the stolen items. The stolen goods were estimated to be worth around N300,000.00.
News of the boy’s arrest spread quickly, and when his mother arrived at the scene, she fainted upon seeing her son handcuffed by the police. Witnesses said it took the help of stadium workers to revive her. After regaining consciousness, the mother, who lives in the Sabo Area of Mokola, said that her son had offended her the previous night, and she had punished him before this unfortunate event occurred.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Sports Council, Tunde Ajibike, confirmed the incident, stating that the boy has since been handed over to the police for further investigation.
“Yes, it was true. The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, has visited the scene of the incident.
“The commissioner, after visiting the stadium for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by the attempted theft, admonished members of staff of the Sports Council, the landlords of the Stadium, to be more vigilant.
“She said maintenance of security at the stadium is the responsibility of all stakeholders. The commissioner pledged that the State Government will strengthen the security network of the sports complex to guide against future occurrences,” the Sports Council GM said.
