By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
No fewer than two suspected vandals have been arrested by Youths of Aliade Community in Gwer- East local government area of Benue State for vandalising electricity transformer within the area and handed them over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
In a Press statement signed by Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah, Head Corporate Communication Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) and made available to journalists, explained that the suspected vandal, one Mr Peter Awanger who resides in Aliade, Gwer – East local Government area of the State was caught vandalising a transformer located at LGEA Primary School at about 2 am on the 23rd August, 2021.
When arrested, the youth invited the traditional ruler of Aliade, His Royal Highness, Chief John Wunde to the scene of the incident before handing the arrested suspect over to the police.
During interrogation, the suspected vandal confessed vandalising a total of five Distribution Transformers within the locality and disclosed that he had been selling the vandalised electricity property such as armoured cables, feeder pillars units, spans of alluminum conductors among other to one Mr Christian Odunwa in Makurdi.
Based on his confession, the police took him to Makurdi where the said Odunwa was identified and arrested on the 24th August, 2021.
Both the suspected vandal and his buyer have been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi for further action.
Before the arrest of the vandal, staff of Jos Electricity Distribution Company were accused by the youth in Aliade of being responsible for the incessant vandalization of Distribution Transformers in the area.
The accusation and suspicion led to the manhandling of some staff of the company by the youth even when the accused staff pleaded their innocence and insisted that the crimes were being committed by some unscrupulous elements in the community.
Reacting on the matter, the Managing Director of Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. Hashim Ibrahim Bakori, commended the youth and the traditional ruler for the job well done by protecting Electricity installations in their domain.
He expressed optimism that the police would also ensure that the suspects are made to face full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others.
Engr. Bakori urged members of the various communities in the company’s franchise states to emulate the youth and leadership of Aliade Community and added that injury to any Electricity installations should be viewed as injury to their entire communities.