DFMM secret camera captures transformer vandal at Wuse II
By Vivian Adewoye
The Director FCT Department of Facilities Maintenance and Management (DFMM), Engr. Olaloye has said that its security camera has captured footage of a vandal of a transformer in Wuse II area of the FCT.
Engr. Olaloye explained that the attention of the FCTA management had been drawn to numerous complaints of vandalism of various public facilities in the territory.
“The Management decided to deploy technology surveillance to secure its streetlights and other installations. While a CCTV camera was being installed and test run, it was able to capture the footage of a vandal who gained access to one of the transformers located in Wuse II, which powers street lights along that vicinity”.
The footage according to Engr. Olaloye, showed the intruder first entering into the transformer at about 4:09am when he dismantled some valuable components of the transformer which immediately threw the street into darkness, and left without the dismantled items. Next footage showed his entry into the transformer to pick the dismantled items and the third footage showed the vandal appear again to pick up the tools used for the act.
He said the case was reported to the police at Maitama Division, and the vandal was arrested in his home. Investigations he said were still ongoing.
The director lamented that on several occasions, complaints and reports of total blackout on streets due to vandalized cables, transformers, street lights components etc. kept reaching the Department. He said, “The most disheartening is when sometimes repairs or replacements are done, and the same night, an individual would walk straight to these installations and go with them, bringing the matter back to square one”.
Explaining further, the Director, said that in the past, when vandalism took place, the Department was not in a position to capture such but with the state of the art surveillance system using secret Digital Camera to detect vandals and record their activities, the director has warned those involved in the criminal act to desist from it as vandalism would not be taken lightly anymore.
