An Upper Sharia Court in Toro, Bauchi State, has sentenced one Julabib Muhammed to two years in prison for destroying a transformer belonging to Jos Electricity Distribution (JED Plc).
JED Acting Head Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Saratu Aliyu in a statement issued in Jos described the ruling as “an answered prayer to the menace of incessant vandalism” that has plagued the JED network in recent times.
Aliyu said the conviction would serve as a deterrent to others.
“The company’s productivity is severely hampered when funds that should be directed toward network expansion and strategic upgrades are frequently diverted to rehabilitate vandalized infrastructure.”
She further called on all stakeholders, particularly host communities to actively support the protection of JED Plc’s transformers and other electrical assets within their environments.
JED also commended the Toro Community in Bauchi State for their vigilance, which helped to thwart a recent attempted act of vandalism, during which already vandalised items were recovered.
“As partners in progress, we urge all our host communities to join our ongoing efforts by also taking ownership and safeguarding the installations around them”.
Aliyu further noted that the company will not relent in its efforts to reduce cases of vandalism to the barest minimum, stressing that all apprehended vandals will be prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law.
She maintained that JED Plc remains committed to safeguarding its infrastructure and ensuring a stable, reliable power supply across its franchise states.
