Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, has called on members of the public to desist from the unlawful activities of vandalising and stealing electricity cables and other critical infrastructure.
These acts disrupt power supply to homes, businesses, and industries, causing widespread power outages and financial losses to the company and its customers, EKEDC said.
This information was disclosed in a statement by the general manager, Corporate Communications of EKEDC, Babatunde Lasaki, following the detention, arraignment, and sentence of three individuals now cooling off at various facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, for vandalism and theft of the company’s equipment.
Lasaki said: “We commend our communities, law enforcement agencies and residential associations for coming together on this journey of safeguarding public equipment and electricity infrastructure around them.
“Justice would not have prevailed if not for the intervention of these partners and critical stakeholders in apprehending these people going around to deny our customers their rights to power supply for their self-gain. We will continue to collaborate with our partners and community groups to ensure this menace comes to a halt.”
The three vandals, Fawas Eletu, Sunday Joseph and Isah Haruna were sentenced to six months, two years and three months jail terms respectively for vandalism and theft of EKEDC cables. Eletu was apprehended in an attempt to cart away three meters of 500mm cable in the Awoyaya area of Ibeju, Joseph was arrested in Onikan, Lagos Island while Haruna was apprehended in Lekki, Lagos.
“Vandalism sets our organisation back in our efforts towards providing a safe, reliable and uninterrupted power supply to our customers. Instead of investing in new equipment to expand our services, we are compelled to replace pilfered ones. It also makes our customers face unnecessary outages and we need to end that with the support of our customers. I also hope that this will deter other intending vandals as we will ensure that they face the full extent of the law,” Lasaki noted.
Lasaki also added that, attempts to vandalize or steal electrical infrastructure are hazardous and can lead to electrocution or death. He further stated that customers can report suspected vandalism activities to the company through its whistleblowing channels.
