A middle-aged man identified as Emmanuel, has been nabbed in the process of carting away vandalized armored cables and Raychem kit worth millions belonging to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc, PHED, in Agip area, Port Harcourt.
The vandal who was apprehended by residents in Agip community, confessed that he carried out his barbaric act with a sophisticated saw and other machines to uproot a long span of the cable buried underground at the Agip injection Sub Station housing a 7.5MVA Transformer without recourse to possible electrocution.
Still in the line of interrogation and confession, he revealed that his intention was to remove the copper insulated inside the cable and sell to his business partners who were waiting before he met his waterloo for as low as N3500 to N3800 for a kilo.
When quizzed further about his involvement, he tried to cover up that this was his first time of vandalizing the company’s assets whereas his action of stealing an equipment in a switch yard that is fully powered suggests otherwise.
The MD/CEO of PHED, Dr Benson Uwheru, who was miffed and frowned at the ugly incident, said the action of the vandal will affect other responsible customers who will be thrown into darkness and may not know the remote cause of the darkness.
This is not the first time that vandals have boxed the company into economic and financial sabotage despite numerous public campaigns and awareness against vandalism in her franchise area.
It would be recalled that the MD/CEO who spoke to newsmen on the sidelines of a media parley held in Port Harcourt, said valdalism is one of the biggest challenges confronting the existence of the company. He therefore called on all stakeholders to join hands to curb this menace of vandalism.
He said that it is no longer business as usual for vandals as the company is prepared to tackle vandals and dropped a hint that the vandal will be taken to the police station for prosecution and will the assist the police to identify other co-travelers.
In the wake of the incident, Dr Benson has issued a stern warning to other hardened criminals to desist from vandalism and other associated acts against the company or face the same fate as Emmanuel recalling the Miscellaneous Offences Act which empowers the court to prosecute such persons.
SIGNED
Dr Benson Uwheru
MD/CEO
