Afikpo, Ebonyi State — The High Court of Ebonyi State, sitting in the Afikpo Judicial Division, has sentenced four men to seven years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy, vandalism, and theft of electricity infrastructure belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EEDC).

The convicts Ikechukwu Esseh, Ikedinachi Uche, Ukpai Godwin, and Uchenna Kalu were arrested on November 28, 2023, for attacking a 7.5 MVA injection substation located on Education Board Road, Afikpo, in Afikpo North Local Government Area.

Justice Nicholas Nwode, presiding over the matter, found the defendants guilty on a three-count charge, sentencing them to five years for conspiracy, seven years for vandalism, and five years for theft. The terms will run concurrently, without an option of fine.

In a statement on Wednesday, EEDC’s Group Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a deterrent to others who may target electricity infrastructure.

“We commend the judiciary for the judgment and hope this will serve as a deterrent to others. We also appreciate the General Youth President and Afikpo Task Force Team for mobilising to apprehend these vandals, which demonstrates strong community support,” Ezeh said.

Ezeh lamented that vandalism continues to disrupt EEDC’s operations and compromise service delivery, adding that scarce resources are frequently diverted to replace damaged equipment.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and work with security agencies to protect installations in their neighbourhoods, warning that such attacks lead to prolonged service failures and inconvenience for customers.