A High Court sitting in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has jailed one Ikechukwu Osondu to five years imprisonment for vandalising property belonging to Eastland Electricity Distribution Limited (EEDL).
The court presided over by Justice Nicholas Nwode handed down the sentence.
This was made known to journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday, by the Head of Communications, EEDL, Mrs. Patience Ezeagu, who described the judgment as a major breakthrough in the fight against vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the state.
The statement revealed that the conviction of Osondu took place on May 6, 2026, under the Ebonyi State Miscellaneous Offences Law, 2018.
The electricity distribution company said the accused person 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.
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She recalled that earlier in the year, the company raised an alarm over the rising wave of substation vandalism across Ebonyi State which caused power outages and significant financial losses.
“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,” she said.
EEDL further 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.
