Sentences have been handed down by a Federal High Court in Awka, the Anambra State capital to Chinonso Chinaemelu, aged 27, and Okoye Christian, aged 20, each receiving a one-year prison term for their involvement in damaging a distribution substation owned by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
The information was disclosed by Emeka Ezeh, the Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, in a statement released on Thursday.
Ezeh mentioned that the pair was apprehended on November 29, 2023, by the Abatete local vigilante group while they were attempting to tamper with the distribution substation in the area.
Additionally, Ezeh confirmed that during the same week, a couple known as Mr & Mrs Ebuka Umeh, were captured by members of the Isuorji community neighborhood security in Orlu, Imo State.
He stated, “The couple was intercepted while the wife was in the process of retrieving the stolen items from an EEDC distribution substation using their motorcycle. It was revealed that the couple had been targeting the substation for a period of three days.
“In a different incidence, a suspected vandal named Chukwuebuka Ezike from Umunachi in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State was detained by Umuezinachi community neighborhood watch while engaging in illegal activities around Orie Uguiri Market cutting aluminum conductor cables.
“In another case at Amachi-Izhia, Ebonyi State, Amara Joseph Ajagbo was seized by community members of the Electricity Committee for causing damage to nine spans of aluminum conductors within their vicinity, with the escape of two of his accomplices.
“The arrested suspects have been transferred to the appropriate Police units for thorough investigation and potential prosecution.”
Ezeh expressed his concern over the rising occurrences of vandalism within the EEDC infrastructure, highlighting that this issue is significantly hindering the operational efficiency of the company.
He revealed that from January 2022 to present, there have been over 170 documented cases of vandalism within their network, resulting in the arrest of about 135 suspected vandals, with over 100 of them facing court charges.
Ezeh emphasized the company’s determination to pursue the prosecution of arrested suspects and to actively pursue the identification of those benefiting from the stolen items, as they act as an incentive for the vandals.
Furthermore, he expressed the challenges faced by the company in financing the repair of the damaged infrastructure, consequently impacting service provision to their customers.