Man allegedly vandalises transformer, throws many into darkness

Security guards operating at Thinkers Corner of Enugu metropolis have arrested a suspect, one Solomon Igwe, for allegedly vandalising a transformer, property of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

The arrested suspect was allegedly in company of two of his gang members who are currently at large.

They allegedly vandalised the Thinkers Guest House transformer located at Thinkers Corner, Enugu and threw customers in that location into darkness.

The Head of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, in a statement in Enugu, said the vandals took away vital cables and drained the transformer oil.

According to Ezeh, the tools and jerrycans used to carry out the nefarious activities had been recovered.

He said that the apprehended suspect had been handed over to the Police Area Command, Enugu for further investigation and possible prosecution, while the fleeing gang members are being trailed by the police.

The EEDC spokesman said that Igwe gave the names of his fleeing gang members as Sunday and Onyema, while he named one Onyedia Obasi, alias Bishop, as their master.

He said: “This arrest is coming just few weeks after the distribution company lamented the increasing rate at which electricity installations within its network are being attacked by vandals and called for customers to be more vigilant.

“The company records cases of vandalised substations almost on a daily basis, most of which have been vandalised multiple times, leaving the company in perpetual replacement of vandalised parts of the equipment.

“Vandals have taken advantage of the poor power generation experienced across the sector, which has impacted the daily energy allocation to the company, and its supply availability to customers.”

Ezeh lauded the efforts of the security guards in apprehending the suspect.

He added: “EEDC calls on its customers to be more vigilant in ensuring that electricity installations sited within their neighbourhoods are protected against attacks by these criminal elements in the society, and save themselves the stress of being out of power supply.

“The company has committed millions of naira restoring vandalised installations, a situation no longer sustainable, especially considering the company’s current financial position.”