SIX persons have been arrested by local vigilante group at Nsugbe in Anambra State for allegedly attempting to vandalize a 500KVA Distribution Substation, belonging to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
In a statement issued by the EEDC’s Information Manager, Emeka Ezeh, which was made available to Nigerian Tribune in Enugu on Sunday, had the names of the first suspected vandals as Ifeanyi Okeke, 18 years, leader of the gang and an ex-convict; Ifeanyi Udekwe, 22 years; Emeka Mokwe, 22 years and Kosisochukwu Mokwe, 17 years.
Ezeh stated that in the course of interrogation, the vandals confessed to the Police that they had been responsible for vandalizing two other EEDC Substations in May, 2018.
“The substations are: Akpalagu 500KVA and Amumu 500KVA, where they carted away seven 500MM2 intermediate cables”, Ezeh added.
According to him, “The leader of the gang, Ifeanyi Okeke disclosed the name of the dealer whom they sold the items to, and the Police is already working at capturing the cable dealer. He equally confessed that he co-opted other three members of the gang to assist him carry the cables to the buyer’s location as the cables were very heavy”
The four were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court (Court 2), Otuocha, for the dispensation of justice on Thursday, 24th May, 2018.
In a related development, the Enugu Police Command, last month, nabbed two vandals identified as Emmanuel Nwigwe and Okechukwu Onu, indigenes of Isu Community in Ebonyi State, for allegedly stealing and vandalizing electrical installations belonging to EEDC in Oji-River, Enugu State.
Bundles of armoured cables were recovered from them even as the menace of vandalism of electrical installations belonging to EEDC has continued unabated.
Ezeh noted, “This impacts negatively on our operations, as funds meant for other projects like metering, transformer installation, network improvements, etc are diverted into the replacement of vandalized materials”
“We therefore commend the efforts of various vigilante groups, the Nigerian Police, Civil Defence as well as other security agencies, for their efforts in fighting this ugly trend. We equally appeal to our esteemed customers to join hands in protecting these installations.
It will be recalled that EEDC recently inaugurated a Special Investigation and Prosecution Task-force on Electricity Offences (SIPTEO) to fight individuals and organizations engaging in acts of energy theft and meter bypass, as well as those involved in vandalism of electrical infrastructures belonging to EEDC.
and then