Vigilantes apprehend team of EEDC cable vandals in Enugu, Umuahia
Group of young men who specialised in vandalising electric installations have been arrested at Emene, Enugu, Enugu State as well as Umuahia in Abia State.
A group of vigilantes arrested them in the early hours of Tuesday, August 23, 2016 after they vandalised 3 up riser armoured cables of a 500KVA, 11/0.415 Distribution Sub Station, property of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, at Rehab Road, Emene.
One Mr. Paul Ike, who escaped, and his accomplice, Mr. Chibuike Nwosu, a dealer of electrical equipment at shop 37 Adelabu Street, Kenyatta, Enugu, who is the buyer of the vandalised installations were apprehended by the vigilante group as they were attempting to abscond with the installations in a Nissan Bluebird salon car with registration number NSH-160 CW, belonging to Mr. Chibuike Nwosu.
This is coming shortly after an earlier attack on the same Sub Station on Thursday, August 18, 2016, where the vandals made away with 1 armoured intermediate cable, while the 2-Phase and neutral cables were recovered.
According to a release from the Head of Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Eze, EEDC had started making arrangements to replace the stolen intermediate cable after the incident was reported, so that electricity supply can be restored to its customers who were already being inconvenienced as a result of this ugly incident, when the vandals came back to complete their unfinished business, Luck, however ran out on them.
In a similar development, four vandals were recently caught in Umuahia, Abia State, while vandalising Udi Street Distribution Sub Station belonging to EEDC. The group actually came to finish up their attack on the Sub Station which had also been vandalised earlier. It took the intervention of a private security man attached to a fast food eatery in Umuahia, who apprehended one of the vandals and raised an alarm, which attracted a team of Police officers on patrol that eventually assisted in arresting the remaining three.
The group has confessed to being responsible for other acts of vandalism that occurred in the District.
All the apprehended vandals were subsequently handed over to the Police for further investigation and prosecution, together with all the recovered armoured cables.
“It will be recalled that we have been soliciting the support and cooperation of our customers towards ensuring that our electrical installations within their vicinity are protected against vandals; and from these incidents, it is obvious that our customers have come to realise that they can’t sit and fold their hands while some few elements who do not mean well for them put them in an inconveniencing situation for a period of time,” the release points out.
“The cost implication of replacing these installations any time they are vandalised runs into millions of Naira; and this is seriously impacting negatively on the efficiency of EEDC in meeting its commitment to her customers.
“The increasing rate of this act of economic sabotage calls for a concerted effort by members of the public and law enforcement agents. “So far, we have recorded no fewer than 78 cases of vandalism across the South East states, between January 2015 to date, and have also expended a substantial amount of money repairing and replacing vandalised equipment while achieving considerable success in prosecuting arrested vandals.
‘’We wish to once again reiterate our continued commitment towards tackling this growing trend and call on well meaning and law abiding customers to join hands with us to fight this ugly menace.
“For those that patronise the vandals, we want them to know that they are equally culpable, as they are aiding and encouraging the vandals. We wish to inform them that we shall be extending our investigation to them; they are therefore advised to desist from this act.
“The Management of EEDC appreciates and also commend the efforts of various Vigilante groups, Civil Defence Corps, the Army and the Nigerian Police who have worked tirelessly towards ensuring that those behind these clandestine acts are brought to justice,” the release states.
