The management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has strongly lamented the rising cases of vandalism of power supply infrastructure in its franchise areas saying it is taking a serious toll on it’s operations.
Kaduna Electric, in a statement at the weekend, said that 158 distribution sub-stations were vandalised across the four franchise states of the company between January and June this year.
The chief engineering and technical services officer of the company, Bello Musa who quoted in the statement said the company lost N238.7 million worth of equipment .
Similarly, the company lost N147.95 million in expected revenue during the period under review.
According to him, some of the prolonged outages and service disruption suffered by the customers are as a result of vandalism and theft of power supply assets of the company by some selfish and criminal elements in the society.
He described the vandalism of power supply assets as “despicable act of sabotage and heinous crime against the society”.
“The destruction of critical national assets like power supply infrastructure by a few unpatriotic elements is a despicable act of sabotage, a mindless criminality and the pinnacle of irresponsibility which we must collectively fight as a society,” he said.
Engr. Bello Musa disclosed that 54 distribution sub-stations out of the 158 vandalised have been repaired and supply restored to the affected customers while efforts are being made to bring the remaining to back to service.
He called on security agencies and the prosecuting authorities to bring full weight of the law against the perpetrators of this crime.
He also appealed for more vigilance by communities and neighborhood vigilante groups so as to arrest the situation.
