By Raji Rasak
Lagos – The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Tuesday said it secured the conviction of two vandals in 2017.
Mr Godwin Idemudia, the EKEDC’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, said this while briefing newsmen on the ongoing war against energy thieves and electricity vandals.
The general manager said that one Ismaila Mabodu, 32, was sentenced to six-month imprisonment in Aug. 2017 by Yaba Magistrates’ Court for theft of 10 meters of armoured copper cable at a substation around Nigerian Railway premises Yaba.
Idemudia said the other vandal Odigiri Simon, was also jailed for five years 10 months in November 2017, having pleaded guilty to stealing 25 metres of core cables in the Lekki Area of Lagos by the same Court.
The company’s Chief Legal Officer, Mrs Wola Joseph said the conviction of the two was a testimony to the seriousness with which the company had been pursuing its crusade against vandalism.
According to Joseph, more similar cases were pending in various courts, adding that more convictions would still be secured in this year.
The legal officer said this would serve as a deterrent to criminal-minded people who might be considering going into the illicit act of vandalism and theft of electricity equipment.
Joseph sought the co-operation of members of the public, for the company’s effort to stamp out vandalism.
“The fight is not for Eko Disco alone, the fight is for all patriotic Nigerians and lovers of development who will not want to allow few criminally minded lot in the society to destroy what is meant for all of us to enjoy,’’ she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company on assumption, pledged to step up the fight against vandalism and energy theft in its network.
Fadeyibi advised vandals to change their ways or get disgraced.
He said: “it is a thing of big concern that whilst we toil day and night to continuously improve on our operations and services, some unpatriotic individuals are engaging in the condemnable act of energy theft and meter by-pass.
“The company will explore all legal options, including prosecution and naming and shaming in the media, to bring such saboteurs of our efforts to book,’’ he said. (NAN)