By Constance Athekame
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) says vandals have destroyed six transmission towers and killed a vigilante in the process in Rivers.
The Media Adviser to the NDPHC, Mr Sanyan Adejokun, said in a statement on Monday that an encounter between the vigilantes and the hoodlums resulted in the death of the vigilante on the night of Nov. 25.
Adejokun said that the vandals had targeted several projects of the NDPHC and killed or maimed contractors in the recorded attacks.
“On Sept. 3, the hoodlums vandalised the 330KV Afam-Onne Transmission Line in Gbake community of Ogoni and cut down four Transmission Towers which they dismantled and carted away.
“The line connecting Afam to Onne in Port Harcourt is the first 330KV Double Circuit transmission supply line to the capital of Rivers,” he said.
He, however, said that a team of vigilantes and security operatives foiled a third attempt by the vandals and arrested nine of them who have since been charged to court.
Adejokun said that the unrelenting attacks on power infrastructure by “economic saboteurs are leading to inability of Nigerians to access adequate electricity for economic growth and prosperity has continued unabated”.
According to him, in recent times, several projects being embarked upon NDPHC, have been attacked and contractors either killed or maimed by attackers.
“Again, on Oct. 10, the vandals attacked and vandalised two additional towers on the same 330KV DC Afam-Onne transmission line.
“During a third attempt, luck however, ran out on them as efforts of vigilante members, buoyed by security operatives paid off, resulting in the arrest of nine of the miscreants. They have since been charged to court to face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Adejokun also said that during routine patrol in the night of Nov. 25, vigilantes again encountered vandals along the same Afam-Onne 330KV DC transmission line.
He said that the vigilantes called for military reinforcement but before help came, one of the guard was shot and later died.
According to him, the persistent attacks on the line have caused substantial damage to the transmission line project and it will take huge sums of money to effect needed reconstruction and repairs in addition to resultant delays on delivery time.
He said that the Executive Director, Corporate Services at NDPHC, Ms Nkechi Mba, had commiserated with the deceased immediate and extended families.
Mba, while promising that the company will support the family in its moment of grief, appealed to the public to regard “public infrastructure as the nation’s commonwealth and strive to jointly protect it”.
She expressed gratitude to law enforcement agents for their continuous support in trying to engage and deter economic criminals who vandalise NDPHC assets.
Mba said that the company would ensure that anyone caught vandalising their assets would be made to face severe legal sanctions.(NAN)www.nanews.ng)