Men of the Bayelsa State Vigilante Service on Monday arrested a suspected serial phone thief, identified simply as Francis, at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, the venue of Governor Douye Diri’s defection to the All Progressives Congress.

The suspect, who reportedly confessed to travelling from Rivers State to take advantage of the large political crowd, was apprehended after a special tactical squad of the vigilante outfit closely monitored his suspicious movements, Linda Ikeji reports.

A search of his bag led to the recovery of 17 mobile phones, N91,000 in cash, and multiple ATM cards, according to the Bayelsa State Vigilante Service.

In his preliminary confession, Francis admitted to working with an accomplice who narrowly escaped arrest.

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He further revealed that they had already stolen over N400,000 before operatives intervened, adding that his fleeing partner possessed additional stolen phones.

The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Vigilante Service, Doubiye Alagba, who personally led the operation, handed the suspect over to officers of Operation Puff Adder of the Bayelsa State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.

Alagba warned criminal elements to stay away from the state, stressing that his men are well-trained in intelligence gathering, behavioural monitoring and crowd surveillance to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.

In 2024, the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command arrested one Ifeanyi Okonkwo, who was caught on Closed-Circuit Television stealing a phone at an eatery in Ikeja, Lagos State.

The RRS revealed that Okonkwo visited the restaurant to purchase food but ended up stealing a Samsung A15 mobile phone belonging to another customer. (The PUNCH)