In the early hours of Saturday, at Ede Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, the lifeless body of a vandal suspect was found within the space of a distribution transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC). It is suspected that he was electrocuted while attempting to vandalize the distribution transformer which already had some of its cables severed.
The deceased, identified as Tochukwu Onah (AKA Toshiba), an indigene of Ede-Oballa (the same community where the transformer is located), who until this tragic incident operated a barbing salon.
Relaying this development known to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday, the Head of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, described the incident as very unfortunate, one which has cut the young man’s life short at its prime.
Ezeh recalled the numerous cases of vandalism recorded by the company last year, which negatively impacted not just the quality of service to its customers, but also its revenue.
He therefore called on the public, especially those who are quick at pointing accusing fingers at employees of the company to also look inwards, as some of the perpetrators of these attacks may be residing within the neighborhood or community.
Ezeh recounted an experience sometime in November last year, after a transformer was vandalized in the same Ede Oballa community, where their representatives directly accused employees of EEDC of being responsible for the attack, alleging that “they are the ones who understand electricity.”
“As fate would have it, the deceased happens to be one of their own, an indigene of the community whom we were told operated a barbing salon and had never been associated with anything relating to electricity, talk less of being an employee of EEDC.”
According to the company’s spokesperson, vandalism has been a big challenge to the company, and there is no way it can deal with it all alone without the support of its stakeholders. He therefore appealed to customers to join hands with company to fish out these few individuals who live amongst us, that are making life miserable for the larger public, instead of engaging in unfounded allegations, where employees of the company are accused of being the perpetrators of this ugly act.
He reiterated the company’s position on any of its employees that is found to be involved in such act, stressing that such a person will not only be shown the way out, but will be prosecuted, as the company has zero tolerance for such criminal act.
Ezeh affirmed that in all the arrests that have been made, none of the suspects has been identified as staff of the company, neither has any of the suspects apprehended claim that they were working or colluding with any employee of the company.
EEDC condoles with the family of the deceased, and hope that this incident serves as deterrent to those engaging in this act of sabotage.