Thursday, May 14, 2026 - A High court sitting in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, presided by Justice Nicholas Nwode, has sentenced one Ikechukwu Osondu to five years imprisonment for vandalising property belonging to Eastland Electricity Distribution Limited, EEDL.
This was disclosed in Abakaliki on Wednesday in a
statement by the Head of Communications, EEDL, Mrs Patience Ezeagu.
According to the statement, Ikechukwu Osondu was convicted
on May 6, 2026 under the Ebonyi State Miscellaneous Offences Law, 2018. He was
jailed without an option of fine.
Ezeagu explained that the arrest of the suspect followed
credible intelligence and the collaborative efforts of community vigilante
members and security agencies, while the company’s legal team diligently
pursued the matter to a successful conclusion.
“This conviction is a strong warning to individuals involved
in vandalising electricity installations because electricity infrastructure
remains critical national assets meant to serve communities and support
economic activities. Anyone who destroys such facilities directly harms
customers and slows development,” the statement said.
The EEDL spokesperson recalled that earlier in the year, the
company raised alarm over the rising wave of substation vandalism across Ebonyi
State which caused power outages and significant financial losses.
According to her, EEDL came into Ebonyi State to foster
development through improved electricity supply, support businesses, and to
enhance the quality of life of residents. However, she warned that these
objectives may not be fully realised if vandalism continues unabated.
“We are committed to improving power supply and expanding
our network, but continuous vandalism undermines these efforts. We will
therefore sustain collaboration with security agencies, community leaders and
other relevant stakeholders to ensure offenders are arrested and prosecuted,”
Ezeagu added.
The company, in the statement, appealed to community
leaders, youth groups, neighbourhood watch organisations and residents to take
ownership of electricity installations serving their areas by remaining
vigilant and promptly reporting suspicious activities around transformers and
other power facilities.
The company reassured customers of its determination to
provide improved services and ensure that anyone found vandalising power
facilities faces the full weight of the law.
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