A court in Awka, Anambra State has given one-year jail sentences to Chinonso Chinaemelu, 27, and Okoye Christian, 20, for damaging a substation owned by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
The EEDC's Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, announced this on Thursday.
Ezeh said the pair were caught by a local vigilante group on November 29, 2023, trying to damage the substation.
He also reported that Mr & Mrs Ebuka Umeh were arrested by a community security group in Orlu, Imo State for a similar offense.
He explained that the couple was apprehended while the wife was trying to retrieve stolen items from an EEDC substation using their motorcycle, and that the couple attacked the substation for three consecutive days.
Ezeh mentioned another suspect, Chukwuebuka Ezike, who was apprehended by a local security watch while cutting aluminum conductor at a market.
In Ebonyi State, Amara Joseph Ajagbo was arrested for damaging aluminum conductors in Amachi-Izhia, with two of his accomplices managing to escape.
The suspects have been handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.
Ezeh expressed concern about the high number of vandalism cases in the EEDC network, noting its detrimental effect on the company's operations.
He revealed that the company has recorded over 170 vandalism cases since January 2022, leading to the arrest of approximately 135 suspected vandals, with over 100 facing charges in court.
He emphasized the company's commitment to prosecuting the arrested suspects and tracking down the recipients of the stolen items, whom he described as the vandals' motivation.
Ezeh highlighted the financial challenge posed by the need to repair vandalized infrastructure, impacting customer service delivery.
