A High Court in Ebonyi State has convicted and sentenced four individuals to prison for their roles in vandalising critical infrastructure belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
Details of the Conviction and Sentences
In a significant ruling, Justice John Igboji of the High Court, Ohaukwu Division, found the four men guilty on multiple charges. The convicts were identified as Chukwuma Onwe, Okefe Stanley, Aleke Kingsley, and Egba Friday.
Each convict received a sentence of four years' imprisonment for offences including vandalism, unlawful disconnection, damage, and the removal of aluminium conductors that are the property of EEDC.
The case against Chukwuma Onwe was particularly detailed. He faced a three-count charge of conspiracy, damage, unlawful disconnection of transformer armoured cables, and stealing. For the conspiracy charge, he was sentenced to three years, while the charges of vandalism and stealing each earned him a four-year prison term.
Arrests and Previous Incidents
According to Emeka Ezeh, the Head of Corporate Communications for EEDC, Onwe was arrested by the Police in September 2023. His crime involved vandalising a transformer located at Ntsulakpa, in the Ezzamgbo Community of Ebonyi State.
The other three convicts – Okefe Stanley, Aleke Kingsley, and Egba Friday – were arrested on 5th June 2023. They were apprehended by the vigilante group of Oshituma Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
Ezeh also pointed to a similar case from a few months prior in the same state. In that instance, four other vandals – Ikechukwu Esseh, Ikedinachi Uche, Ukpai Godwin, and Uchenna Kalu – were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Justice Nicholas E. Nwode for attacking a 7.5MVA Injection Substation in Afikpo.
Company's Reaction and Broader Impact
The management of EEDC has expressed its satisfaction with the recent judgements. The company commended the judiciary and appealed for the speedy trial of other pending vandalism-related cases in various courts.
Ezeh lamented the severe negative impact of such criminal acts on the company's operations. He stressed that EEDC is forced to commit scarce financial resources to restore vandalised and damaged equipment. These are funds that could otherwise be deployed to enhance service delivery and improve power supply for its customers.
He issued a strong warning, stating that vandalism inevitably results in prolonged service disruptions and general inconvenience for the public. EEDC is now urging customers and communities to remain vigilant and to actively help safeguard the electricity installations within their neighbourhoods.
