The High Court of Ebonyi State, Afikpo Judicial Division, has sentenced four men to seven years in prison for conspiracy, vandalism, and theft of electrical equipment. Justice Nicholas Nwode delivered the judgment against Ikechukwu Esseh, Ikedinachi Uche, Ukpai Godwin, and Uchenna Kalu, who were arrested on November 28, 2023.
The convicts were found guilty of attacking a 7.5 MVA injection substation owned by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) on Education Board Road, Afikpo, in Afikpo North Local Government Area.
In a statement on Wednesday, EEDC’s Group Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, confirmed that the court imposed five years’ imprisonment on the first count, seven years on the second, and five years on the third — all to run concurrently without an option of fine.
Ezeh praised the judiciary for the decisive ruling, stressing that it would deter further attacks on power installations. He also commended the General Youth President and Afikpo Task Force Team for their role in apprehending the vandals, noting that the case reflected the value of community collaboration in protecting public infrastructure.
According to Ezeh, vandalism of electrical facilities has severely hampered EEDC’s operations and service delivery, forcing the company to divert limited funds to replace damaged equipment instead of improving services. He urged customers to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and protect installations in their areas to avoid service disruptions.
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