The Kano Electricity Distribution Company said it had lost transformer oil, aluminium conductors, upriser cables and other valuables worth N108.8 million to activities of vandals in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States from August to date.
This was contained in statement signed by the company’s Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Kandi, and issued to newsmen in Kano on Thursday.
According to Kandi, the spate of vandalism, energy theft and meter bypass had recently risen extremely in the company’s areas of operation and was becoming unbearable.
Kandi said: “The appalling development has caused the company huge losses and setbacks within a period of six weeks.”
He called on customers of the company “who bear the brunt” to watch over the installations in their areas and report to the appropriate security agencies any suspicious move for action.
The spokesman quoted KEDCO’s Chief Technical Officer, David Omoloye, as saying: “The quantity of vandalised materials include: 46.5 drums of transformer oil, 2, 130 aluminium conductors (150mm2), 4, 500 aluminium conductors (100mm2), 535 and 15 (150mm2&70mm2).”
Other materials, the CTO said, are: “825 XLPE Cable (35mm2), 529 (500mm2) &161 (300mm2) Incomer Cables and 40 Busbar.”
Omoloye said that the nefarious acts took place in Sabon Gari, Sharada, Tudun Wada, Dala, Dakata, Dutse, Funtua, Hadejia, Kabuga, Katsina, Kumbotso, Malumfashi, Mariri and Nasarawa.
He also stated: “I am appealing to all our esteemed customers in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states to watch over our installations as their own because when the damage is done they suffer weeks of blackout.”