One Mr. Abdul Ali, a 33-year-old young man from Adamawa State has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for vandalizing a 300KVA Distribution Substation belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) at Ekeututu in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The sentenced was handed over to him by His Worship, Ahizechukwu D. O, at an Orsu Magistrate Court.
DAILY POST gathered that he was arrested by members of a vigilante group for removing four intermediate cables and one upriser cable from the Ekeututu Distribution Substation.
He, however, confessed to have carried out the act with an accomplice identified as Boniface, who is currently on the run.
He pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of stealing and other offences and was subsequently sent to Owerre Prisons.
In a related development, one Tochukwu Onwe was apprehended by members of a vigilante group at Amuda Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State for vandalizing Nwankwo Elom Distribution Substation, property of EEDC located along Enugu-Abakaliki Road.
Tochukwu, who was immediately handed over to the Nigerian Police State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Abakaliki for further investigation and possible prosecution vandalised all components of the Feeder Pillar, and 300mm 2 x 4 core of incomer cables measuring about six meters.
Also at Amachalla Avuvu, Ikeduru, Imo State, men of the Nigerian Police arrested three young men identified as Uchenna Opara, Kenneth Ukachi and Chinedu Ukadiala for destroying EEDC cable lines at Amachalla Avuvu Ikeduru Local Government Area, Imo State.
They are currently undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Headquarters, Owerri.
Also within last month, over eighteen vandals were apprehended by various vigilante groups, out of who one Mr. Onuorah Godswill, a native of Okoko Item in Bende Local Government Area was sentenced to three years imprisonment by His Worship, Orgmore Ebubedike Kalu of the Chief Magistrate Court, Bende, Abia State.
Reacting to these developments, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, Head of Communications, EEDC, lamented that “no enterprise can survive with the high rate of attack on electricity installations across the network, as resources meant for other services that will benefit customers are used to replace vandalised items, this is not sustainable.
“While commending the various Vigilante groups, Civil Defence Corps, the Army and the Nigerian Police for their efforts in ensuring that these vandals are apprehended and prosecuted, we still call on our customers to join hands with EEDC and assist in protecting these installations within their neighborhood, as they will be inconvenienced once they are vandalised.
“We are, however, not relenting in our commitment towards fighting vandalism and we continue to count on the support of our customers as well as other well meaning citizens in fighting this menace.”
コメント