01 April 2013, Abakaliki – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDCA, has arrested a middle aged man for allegedly vandalising Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, installation in Ebonyi State.
Twenty-eight year old Chukwu Onyekachi from Okofia Village, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state was arrested at the weekend and he confessed to having engaged in similar venture in Anambra State before coming to his village for operation.
According to him, his operation at Ezza East Development Centre, where he was arrested, will make it the 17th time he had engaged in the vandalism of PHCN cables.
Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent, ASC Emmanuel Nwali, told journalists at the Command headquarters in Abakaliki that the suspect sustained injuries on his belly, hands and face due to the electrical shock he received while attempting to steal a bolt from the high tension transmission cable behind Ezza East Development Centre.
“At about 7: 30 p.m. last night, we got a signal from one of our divisions, precisely in Ezza East Development centre of Ezza South LGA that a young man was caught vandalising PHCN transmission cable,” he said.
He continued: “In fact, it was a surprise that a man of that age who knows what life is all about could risk his life by climbing transmission cable at that time.
“It was as a result of him trying to remove a size 18 bolt from the transmission cable that made him sustain all those burns; our men tried to save his life by calling PHCN which eventually switched off power supply from the station.
“From the victims confessional statement, we gathered that he has been in the business for a long time, making this last mission his 17th time. The law has caught up with him and he will face all the charges against him in court.
“This is our core mandate; 24 hours we are alert to make sure that government’s infrastructure including PHCN are well secure.”
