Eight arrested for vandalizing EEDC facilities. No less than eight people have been detained once more in various locations around the South-East for damaging Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, PLC, EEDC installations.
Vandals’ actions, according to EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, who verified the arrests, were to blame for some of the network’s service outages.
Ezeh angrily bemoaned how the rising rate of vandalism has harmed the company’s ability to provide its clients with service in a statement on Thursday.
As he acknowledged that vigilante groups were responsible for the majority of the arrests, he also praised the assistance provided by important stakeholders and the different vigilante organizations in halting the unpleasant trend.
He attributed the change to the ongoing discussions he had with stakeholders about the need to protect the electrical equipment located in their neighborhoods from vandalism.
According to Ezeh, the youths of the Ulakwo village in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State apprehended Nonso Sunday Nwajonta, a suspected vandal, over the weekend while he was in possession of aluminum conductors (cables).
“With the help of security personnel from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Ifeanyi Onwe, and Anthony Oselebe were detained within the same time frame for damaging an EEDC substation located along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway beside Pioneer Students Hostel.
“Earlier this month, vandals broke into the EEDC-owned Ngwu relief distribution substation in Uzuakoli, Abia State, and stole the uprising cable. However, thanks to the actions of the Uzuakoli vigilante group, Henry Nwachukwu, one of the attackers, was apprehended while three of his accomplices fled the scene. The police are making an effort to catch the runaway suspects.
In Eziafor, Abia State, some vigilante group members detained Kingsley Uko Agwu and Ebere Ofia Uchendu for damaging an EEDC feeder panel, he revealed.
Ogayi Chukwuka was detained by members of the Umuoru Amaechi community electricity committee in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, in the late August after he had vandalized a distribution transformer that belonged to the EEDC, according to Ezeh.
He stated that “100mm2 aluminum conductor, 20m and 50mm2 copper conductor 5 meters” were among the things found on the suspect.
Similarly, the Nkpor vigilante group detained one Ubaka Okafor for stealing three Intermediate Cables and an uprising cable from the EEDC’s Umusiome distribution substation.
“Due to these crimes committed by the suspects, EEDC has not been able to live up to its responsibilities,” Ezeh stated. “All the consumers being served by the assaulted substations are presently exposed to blackout and immeasurable hardships.”
He affirmed that all of the suspects had been turned over to the police for a thorough investigation and potential prosecution. He also urged the public to “be more vigilant in making sure that the electricity infrastructures within their environment were safe from vandals, so that power services would not be disrupted.”
