Police in Port Loko have apprehended a man who identified himself as Prince after he was caught cutting copper cables from an Electricity Distribution Supply Authority (EDSA) transformer.

A video circulating online shows Prince being confronted at the scene of the crime. According to the individual filming, Prince had visited the transformer site the previous day but was unable to remove the cables. He allegedly returned the next day to complete the theft.

When questioned, Prince claimed he was unaware of the crime’s nature. He stated that a group of boys approached him, offering him Le 80 (eighty Leones) for assisting them in collecting “copper cables” they had acquired elsewhere. He further claimed they woke him from sleep that night and took him to the transformer location.

Prince’s account suggests he was instructed to climb into the transformer building while the others waited outside. However, his story contradicts itself, as he also claims someone emerged from the building, causing the others to flee and leaving him to be apprehended.

The authorities are likely to investigate Prince’s claims and determine if there are any accomplices involved in the attempted copper theft.