By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – A total of eleven suspected vandals have been arrested for stealing electricity installations belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution (EEDC) across its network.
The Head, Corporate Communications of the company, Emeka Ezeh, described the development as frustrating.
Ezeh, in a release issued on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Enugu, lamented that the impact of the activities of these vandals is a situation that leaves electricity customers inconvenienced for weeks.
He added that the distribution company also loses revenue running into millions of Naira in replacing vandalised items.
Only recently, a combined team of youths and vigilante team from Omoba, Isiala Ngwa South, Abia State, arrested one Ekene Ekwueme, while attempting to evacuate large quantities of vandalised aluminum conductor into his vehicle.
One Ebuka Eze, a native of Ugwuaji in Enugu South LGA, Enugu State, was similarly arrested by youths from Area “E” New Owerri, Imo State, while carting away in a wheelbarrow, cables he confirmed to have vandalised from East High School area, New Owerri, Imo State.
The items recovered included two metres 35mm, 25m 4 core armoured cables and an iron saw.
In a related development, the Amechi Amofia Ezangbo vigilante group in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, arrested four suspected vandals identified as Alo Isreal, Alo Miracle, Elom Chukwu Emeka and Obaji Shadrack, for vandalising a distribution substation belonging to EEDC.
Items recovered from them included armoured cable and the tricycle used in carting away the vandalised items.
In Ojoto, Anambra State, Ifeanyi Ugwu was arrested by the Ezema Ojoto Vigilante team while vandalising 300KVA Aniawonwa distribution substation in Ojoto.
Items recovered from him included two completely loosed bare conductor, down droppers, three pieces of feeder pillar copper bars, spanners, and a knife.
Similarly, at Nkono village, Ekwulobia, one Chukwuemeka Okoli was arrested by Ekwulobia Vigilante team while vandalising a 2.5KVA substation at Isuofia Road, Ekwulobia, Anambra State.
More so, the trio of Uchenna Ncheta, Chinedu Eze, and Chuks Michael were arrested by members of Akwa-Ukwu vigilante group from Nnewi, Anambra State, while attempting to vandalise Akwa-Ukwu 2, 300KVA distribution substation.
It was also gathered that the trio masterminded the attack of Ibollo 500KVA substation at Oraifite, Anambra State, sometime in March this year.
All arrested suspects have been handed over to the respective Police Division in those areas, along with the items recovered from them, for proper investigation and possible prosecution.
Ezeh commended the efforts of the various vigilante groups, as well as youths of the communities, in apprehending these vandals “that have sworn to always inflict untold hardship on innocent citizens, depriving them of quality supply and comfort.”
“This is a clear indication that all our cry to our stakeholders for support and collaboration in ensuring that these installations located within their immediate environments are protected from these undesirable elements, is yielding the desired result”, Ezeh said.
He encouraged customers not to relent and should see themselves as critical stakeholders and partners committed to ensuring that EEDC’s efforts in providing quality and reliable service is actualised and sustained.