By Fidel Ozugha
Members of a neighbourhood watch operating on Ngwa Road by the Old Court in Aba, the Abia State commercial nerve centre, have apprehended a man in his 20s about to vandalize the Aba Power power distribution infrastructure in the locality.
The man, Uchenna Iroha, was arrested when he was to start stealing the 500kva distribution transformer in the area without knowing that eagle-eyed security men had been monitoring him, according to Engr Ken Agu, the Chief Security officer of the Geometric Power group, the owners of the Aba Power Electric Company.
“Uchenna, an indigene of the Ohuhu community in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has for some time been suspected of involvement in the vandalism against the distribution transformer on two previous occasions in recent times”, explained Edise Ekong, the Aba Power Brand and Communications Manager, in a statement.
Efforts are being made to find out if the suspect is a lone wolf or has been working in concert with other vandals, noted Ekong, quoting the Geometric Power security chief as saying.
“The Divisional Police Office of the Nigeria Police Force at Ndiegoro in Aba is thorough and we expect its men to do a good job”, Engr Agu said.
The Aba Power communication manager commended the host community where the 500kva transformer is located for guarding it well after two previous acts of vandalization in recent months.
Edise remarked that each theft left the community, businesses, and households in darkness for days until the facility was repaired at a huge sum.
“It is terrible to mess up the businesses and lives of people here by a handful of miscreants who sell the transformer copper wires and other electrical accessories to unconscionable electrical parts dealers and metal scavengers as scraps”, observed Engr Agu.
“We are delighted that as the power supply to Aba and the environs improves drastically and Aba Power earns the confidence of the people more and more, the people will continue to play their role as stakeholders in the electricity value chain and protect all the infrastructure in their areas with more commitment”
