A High Court sitting in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has sentenced Ikechukwu Osondu to five years imprisonment for vandalising electricity infrastructure belonging to the Eastland Electricity Distribution Limited (EEDL).
Justice Nicholas Nwode, who delivered the judgment, ruled that the defendant was guilty of tampering with and damaging electricity facilities, describing the offence as a major threat to public power supply and community safety. The court sentenced Osondu without the option of a fine.
The court held that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt under the Ebonyi State Miscellaneous Offences Law, 2018.
Reacting to the judgment, EEDL’s Head of Communications, Mrs. Patience Ezeagu, described the conviction as a significant step in tackling the rising cases of transformer vandalism and electricity infrastructure theft across Ebonyi State.
According to her, the conviction followed credible intelligence gathering and coordinated efforts involving local vigilante groups, security agencies, and the company’s legal team, which ensured the successful prosecution of the case.
“This judgment sends a strong warning to anyone involved in vandalising electricity facilities. Power infrastructure is a vital public asset meant to serve communities and support economic growth,” she stated.
Ezeagu noted that repeated attacks on substations and transformers in Ebonyi have continued to trigger power outages and cause major financial losses for the electricity company.
She warned that persistent vandalism could frustrate efforts aimed at improving electricity supply, supporting businesses, and enhancing residents’ living conditions.
“We remain committed to expanding and improving electricity distribution, but acts of vandalism continue to undermine these efforts. We will sustain collaboration with security agencies, community leaders, and stakeholders to ensure offenders are arrested and prosecuted,” she added.
The electricity company also urged community leaders, youth associations, neighbourhood watch groups, and residents to protect public power installations by reporting suspicious movements around transformers and other electricity facilities.
EEDL reaffirmed its commitment to better service delivery and stressed that anyone caught vandalising electricity infrastructure would face the full weight of the law.
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