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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Suspected thieves have again disrupted traffic flow at the Olaiya intersection in Osogbo, after cutting the cable of the traffic light for what authorities say is the fourth time this year.
The incident caused traffic congestion for some days, as some motorists and motorcyclists obstructed security light while rushing to manoeuvre their ways.
The problem was only brought under control when a traffic warden stepped in by directing vehicles manually—moving cars with his hands to restore flow.
Speaking on the matter, an engineer handling the traffic light, who identified himself as “Baba Ibeji,” said the cable theft has become recurring.
He disclosed that the cable has been stolen three times, explaining that the current repair would be the fourth time they are fixing it this year.
According to him, repairing the cable costs no less than N200,000, and the thieves allegedly steal the cables to sell the copper.
Meanwhile, investigations showed that the CCTV camera on the fly over is no longer working, which may have prevented the suspects from being caught.
The engineer said the thieves enter through an open cover at the edge of the gutter, cutting the cable through a water pipe pathway.
He added that if the CCTV was functioning, identifying the culprit would have been easier because the act is done during the day.
However, spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, said “The days of the thieves are numbered. We are going to do everything necessary to protect government properties.”
He promised that the government would fix the CCTV camera as soon as possible and that stakeholders around the area would be engaged for monitoring, while additional security surveillance would be put in place.
Rasheed urged members of the public to join government efforts to secure public infrastructure, warning that those responsible would be arrested.
