A 17-year-old boy, Sunday Adegbulu, who allegedly specialised in vandalising and stealing electric installations, has escaped electrocution in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while attempting to steal an armoured cable from a transformer.

Adegbulu was rescued at the scene by his gang members but sustained severe burns on his back, thighs, and hands. He was one of 45 suspected criminals paraded at the headquarters of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps.

The Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3 student of Commercial Secondary School, Akure, who confessed to having committed the crime, disclosed that they had planned to sell the cable for N25,000.

He said: “We were three in number, and we were to sell the electricity transformer cable for N25,000 to Mr Abubakar. It was my second operation. During my first operation, we vandalised and stole the electrical installations of an uncompleted building. The latest incident happened on April 28. Only two of us went to the transformer. I never knew there was going to be electricity supply. It’s the devil that pushed me to commit the crime.”

Amotekun boss, Adetunji Adeleye, said the other gang members who are currently on the run had hatched a plot to eliminate him, fearing that Adegbulu might reveal incriminating information to Amotekun detectives who were on their trail.

He said: “Of particular note is a set of criminals that engage in vandalisation of electricity transformers, and fate caught up with one of them, Sunday Adegbulu, who is 17 years old. Unfortunately, while cutting the cables, electricity was restored, and he burned half of his body.

“After a lot of trailing, we arrested him because the moment it happened, he was rushed to three different hospitals, and when they got wind of the fact that detectives from the Amotekun corps were on their trail, they moved him out of Akure. We also trailed him to the location and brought him in a very terrible state.

“He was to be killed so that he would not reveal his sponsors. We had to revive him, bring him to the health facility of the corps, and spend a lot of money to make him come back to life. He was able to tell us about nine other members of the gang, including their godfather, who is on the run. We are on the trail of the godfather.”

Adeleye further said: “We also have one Jubril, a suspected kidnapper that was arrested a couple of weeks ago but was released on bail, and within 48 hours of his release, the residents and traditional ruler of his village called us that three people were to be kidnapped by the gang this same suspect belonged to, but we were able to apprehend them.

“It is worth noting that the security organisation, which arrested him, was still going on with the court case of the initial kidnapping. Now, he was arrested for another one. Out of these 45 suspects, seven are already in court, but we needed them to shed light on our ongoing investigation, so we sought leave of the court to allow us a few more days, which was granted. That was why they’re part of this group of 45 suspects. As soon as we complete the investigation, all of them will be taken to court to face the full wrath of the law.”