An Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Afikpo has sentenced four men to seven years in prison for destroying electrical infrastructure belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The convicts – Ikechukwu Esseh, Ikedinachi Uche, Ukpai Godwin, and Uchenna Kalu – were found guilty of conspiracy, vandalism, and theft after attacking a 7.5MVA injection substation at Education Board Road, Afikpo, in November 2023.

Delivering judgment, Justice Nicholas Nwode held that the evidence against the men was overwhelming, stressing that frequent cases of vandalism had crippled power supply in Afikpo and must be discouraged. He therefore handed down a seven-year sentence on the count of vandalism, alongside five years each on the charges of conspiracy and theft. The terms will run concurrently, meaning the four will serve seven years in jail.

EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, who confirmed the ruling, hailed the judgment as a victory for both the company and the community. He said the decision would send a strong warning to others engaged in destroying public infrastructure.

According to Ezeh, the arrest of the vandals was made possible through the efforts of local youth leaders and the Afikpo Task Force, who mobilised to protect the facility. He urged residents across the South-East to remain vigilant, warning that vandalism leads to power outages and diverts company resources away from improving services.

“We commend the judiciary for this bold step,” he said. “Our appeal is for speedy prosecution of other pending cases, as vandalism continues to undermine power distribution and customer satisfaction.”

Ezeh further explained that the cost of replacing vandalised equipment has placed a heavy financial burden on the company, funds which should have been used to expand services. He called on communities to partner with EEDC in safeguarding installations in their areas.