Establish mobile courts to prosecute vandals – Power company tells Abia Govt

Aba Power Company has called on the Abia State government to establish a mobile court to prosecute vandals of electric power facilities in the state.
The company in charge of the Aba ring-fenced area covering nine council areas said its operations have been hampered by vandals and those who sabotage power facilities.
Managing Director of Aba Power Limited, Barr. Ugochukwu Opiegbe, lamented that the power company lacks the capacity to arrest and prosecute electricity equipment vandals.
Opiegbe further stated that vandals have greatly reduced their determination to ensure reliable power to their customers.
He said,” When they arrest vandals, they turn back to us to come and prosecute them. You arraign and put them in the correctional centre; prosecution will go on.
“You know how long it takes to prosecute cases. We are bleeding from the vandalism of our power equipment. We haven’t received justice, and it is going on everywhere.
“In the Ukwa area, they have not had light for many years, and we are fixing the problem. But as we fix the problem to restore supply, vandals are stealing the cables. We had to stop work. Last Sunday, one of our substations, including the feeder pillar and cables, was fully vandalized. Only the transformer is standing. Last year, over 17 transformers were vandalized in Aba alone. We need the government’s and customers’ support to help us secure our facilities and ensure reliable power in our areas of operation.”
“So, we believe that government can provide security to assist us in protecting our assets. We are doing well in working with our security agencies. But we commend their efforts. But the truth is that we can’t be everywhere simultaneously. We are handicapped; we can’t prosecute vandals; it is the job of the government to do that, whether it is enforcement or prosecution. However, we commend the Abia state government; they have been doing many things to assist us.”