A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Wednesday sentenced three persons to six years imprisonment each for vandalising electricity cables belonging to the lbadan Electricity Distribution Company.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogbonnaya Dyke, disclosed this in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Metro on Sunday.
According to Dyke, the convicts, identified as Chibueze Emmanuel, Ojuolape Olaitan, and Michael Genesis, were arraigned before Justice A. Demi-Ajayi following their arrest by the NSCDC.
It was reported on January 25 that the Ogun NSCDC paraded four persons for allegedly vandalising electricity cables in some communities in the state.
The state Commandant of the corps, David Ojelabi, who paraded the suspects before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta, the state capital, disclosed that four of the suspects were involved in vandalism and stealing, while one of the suspects allegedly specialised in selling marijuana.
Ojelabi had disclosed that one of the suspects, Ojuolape Olaitan, was arrested in the Imomo area of ljebu North-East Local Government Area of the state following a tip-off from members of the community, which prompted the NSCDC operatives to immediately swing into action and apprehend the suspect in possession of the vandalised cables. Giving an update on the arrest and prosecution, Dyke noted that Chibueze Emmanuel and Michael Genesis were arrested in January 2022 while Ojuolape Olaitan was arrested in January 2024 by the NSCDC for vandalising electrical cables.
He added that upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges of disconnecting and damaging electrical installations.
Dyke said, “The Defendants were arraigned before Hon. Justice A. Demi-Ajayi for the offence of unlawfully tampering, disconnecting, and damaging Electrical installations belonging to lbadan Electricity Distribution Company.
“The duo of Chibueze Emmanuel and Michael Genesis were arrested in January 2022 while Ojuolape Olaitan, male, 36 years, was arrested for vandalising electricity cables at Imomo Community, ljebu North-East Local Government Area, Ogun State in January 2024.
“The Hon. Judge adjourned the two charges to Wednesday, May 8, 2024, for a review of the facts of the trio having earlier pleaded guilty to the offence.”
The spokesperson noted that upon the review of facts presented by the prosecutor, the court found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to six years.
“After a careful review of facts, the Hon. Judge sentenced each of the Defendants to six years of imprisonment,” Dyke said.
The spokesperson also noted that the Command would ensure the protection of national assets and would not hesitate in prosecuting anyone found culpable of vandalising public and private assets.
“Speaking on the judgement, the State Commandant reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensuring the protection of Critical National Assets and
Infrastructure and bringing to justice anyone who is found to have vandalised or tampered with any of the Critical Infrastructures of the Federal, State, and Local Government and even including the Critical Assets of Private Organisations which falls within critical infrastructures.
“He, therefore, advised the good people of Ogun State to always give adequate information to the NSCDC whenever they see anyone attempting to or vandalising any critical infrastructure because most of the problems of power outages being experienced in many parts of the state were as a result of the unscrupulous activities of the vandals,” he concluded.
