Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has taken legal action against five individuals for staff assault and vandalism. According to a statement by the company’s Head of Corporate Communications & Strategy, Mr. Babatunde Lasaki, one person was remanded for assaulting two EKEDC staff while four others were remanded for vandalizing EKEDC properties.
On March 16, 2023, Dada Fabian was arrested for instigating mobs to beat up two staff and causing breach of peace at Uzor Street, Ajeromi, Apapa, Lagos. She was charged with breach of peace and conspiracy to cause grievous harm, with others still at large. Fabian was arraigned on March 22, 2023, at Magistrate Court 19 Ajegunle and pleaded not guilty to the 2-count charge. She was granted bail in the sum of N50,000.00 and a surety in like sum, but she is remanded at Kirikiri pending her bail perfection.
On March 14, 2023, Kehinde Shogbesan was caught damaging a transformer and stealing cable wires at Flag House, Marina, both properties of EKEDC. He was convicted on March 30, 2023, having been found guilty of the two-count charge. Shogbesan was sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment for count 1 and two years imprisonment for count 2, to run concurrently.
Ahmed Yaya, Aba Jide, and others now at large were apprehended on March 12, 2023, along Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where they stole cables belonging to EKEDC valued at N7 million. They were arraigned on March 16, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The matter was adjourned to April 11, 2023.
Ibrahim Abdullahi was caught stealing and vandalizing earth wire, statical wire, and a statical meter valued at N250,000 on March 13, 2023. He was arraigned on March 14, 2023, pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties.
Mamudu Ali, Samuel Akowe, and Stanley Umebuni were arrested on March 5, 2023, while attempting to vandalize and steal armoured cables servicing the transformer at Temple Road, Ikoyi Lagos. They were caught by officers on patrol. The defendants were arraigned on March 7, 2023, at Magistrate Court 10 Lagos, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge, and were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 and three sureties with tax verification. The defendants are to be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison pending their bail perfection.
Vandalism is one of the leading causes of poor power supply within EKEDC’s operation network, and Lasaki reiterated that the company would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law in dealing with members of the public that take the law into their hands through assaults on EKEDC staff and officials. He encouraged members of the public to report suspicious activity around EKEDC infrastructure to the nearest office or via any of the company’s official complaint channels.
EKEDC remains committed to providing quality power supply to its customers and will continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure that perpetrators of vandalism are brought to justice and face the full wrath of the law