From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The High Court of Ebonyi State, sitting in the Afikpo Judicial Division, has sentenced four men to prison for vandalising electricity infrastructure belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC).
Justice Nicholas Nwode handed down the sentence to Ikechukwu Esseh, Ikedinachi Uche, Ukpai Godwin, and Uchenna Kalu after finding them guilty on a three-count charge of conspiracy, vandalism, and theft.
The convicts were arrested on November 28, 2023, for attacking a 7.5MVA Injection Substation located on Education Board Road, Afikpo, in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Enugu, EEDC’s Group Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, said the presiding judge reviewed all the evidence before the court and took into account the high rate of vandalism and theft of electrical installations in Afikpo.
Justice Nwode sentenced the men to five years’ imprisonment on count one, seven years on count two, and five years on count three. The sentences are to run concurrently, with no option of a fine.
Ezeh said the company welcomed the ruling. “We commend the judiciary for the judgement, and hope that this will serve as a deterrent to others out there who may engage in such a criminal act,” he said.
He also praised the General Youth President and the Afikpo Task Force Team for their role in apprehending the vandals, describing it as “a clear indication of community support and collaboration in the protection of electricity infrastructure.”
Ezeh appealed to customers to help safeguard installations in their areas. He expressed concern over the toll vandalism has taken on the company’s operations and service quality.
“As a result, we continue to commit scarce resources to restore vandalised equipment—funds that would ordinarily be channelled to other areas of our operations that will benefit our customers,” he lamented.
He urged the public to remain vigilant and protect electricity facilities in their neighbourhoods, warning that vandalism inevitably results in service disruptions and inconvenience.
