Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) says it has arrested and handed over eight electricity installation vandals to the police for investigation and prosecution.

Its spokesman, Emeka Ezeh, told journalists on Thursday in Enugu that the arrests were made possible with support from customers and other stakeholders in its South-East franchise area.

“Within the last quarter of 2022, the EEDC records a daily average of attacks on three transformers in its franchise area. The vandals usually drain oil from the transformers,’’ he said.

Mr Ezeh added that the company was seriously disturbed by the draining of transformer oil, subjecting the transformers to the risk of blowing up once supply was restored.

He explained that before now, vandals carted away armoured cables and conductors, but recently, they drained transformer oil subjecting the transformers to great danger.

“Once vandalism happens, our customers are thrown into darkness; homes are affected, and businesses are affected too as losses are counted amid inconveniences that lack of electricity supply brings,’’ he said.

The EEDC official further stated that at Ndiagbo Ofeke Ishieke in the Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi, a vigilance group arrested a vandal while ripping off aluminium conductors belonging to the EEDC.

Mr Ezeh said that at Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia, villagers arrested another vandal, ripping off aluminium conductors in their community.

He said a vigilance group arrested two other vandals at Onuinyan village in Bende community in Bende local government area of Abia for vandalising aluminium conductors.

The EEDC spokesman recounted that a vigilance group arrested a 24-year-old native of Aguleri in the Anambra East local government area for vandalising a transformer in the Ozubulu community.

He claimed that the EEDC had spent over N300 million in 2022 to replace and restore vandalised facilities so as not to leave consumers in darkness.”

(NAN)