Operatives arrest 11 suspects for electricity installations vandalism in S/East
No fewer than 11 suspected vandals were arrested at various locations in the South-East for allegedly vandalising electricity installations belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
The Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Enugu on Tuesday.
Ezeh said that the activities of vandals were frustrating the genuine intention of the company to continuously improve power supply in the zone.
He lamented that the situation left electricity customers inconvenienced for weeks and the company losing revenue while expending millions of naira replacing vandalised items.
“Just recently, a combined team of youths and vigilance team from Omoba, Isiala-Ngwa South, Abia arrested Ekene Ekwueme while attempting to evacuate large quantities of vandalised aluminium conductive into his vehicle.
“Ebuka Eze, a native of Ugwuaji in Enugu South council area was arrested by youths from Area `E’ New Owerri, Imo, while carting away, in a wheelbarrow, cables he confirmed to have vandalised from East High School area, New Owerri.
“The items recovered include two meters 35mm, 25m 4-core armoured cable and an iron saw.
“Amechi-Amofia-Ezangbo vigilance group in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, arrested four suspected vandals for vandalising a distribution sub-station.
“Items recovered from them included armoured cable and the tricycle used in carting away the vandalised items.
“In Ojoto, Anambra; Ifeanyi Ugwu was arrested by the Ezema Ojoto Vigilance Team while vandalising 300KVA Aniawonwa distribution sub-station in Ojoto.
“Items recovered from him included two completely loosed bare conductives, down droppers, three pieces of feeder pillar copper bars, spanners and a knife.
“At Nkono village, Ekwulobia in Anambra, Chukwuemeka Okoli was arrested by Ekwulobia Vigilante while vandalising a 2.5KVA sub-station at Isuofia Road, Ekwulobia, Anambra.
“More so, Uchenna Ncheta, Chinedu Eze and Chuks Michael were arrested by members of Akwa-Ukwu Vigilance Group from Nnewi, Anambra, while attempting to vandalise Akwa-Ukwu 2,300KVA distribution sub-station.
“It was also gathered that the trio masterminded the attack of Ibollo 500KVA sub-station at Oraifite, Anambra, sometime in March this year,’’ he said.
The EEDC spokesman said that all suspects were handed over to the respective police divisions in those areas, along with the items recovered, for proper investigation and possible prosecution.
He lauded the efforts of the various vigilance groups and youths of communities in apprehending the vandals that had sworn to always inflict untold hardship on citizens, depriving them of quality supply and comfort.
According to him, this is a clear indication that our cry to our stakeholders in ensuring that installations located in their environments are protected from these undesirable elements is yielding the desired result.
