he Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) said about 32 of their utility vehicles were destroyed when gunmen attacked its facility located inside the headquarters of Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Suspected arsonists attacked the council headquarters in the early hours of Monday and set some structures ablaze, including the EEDC facility and vehicles.
The attackers also razed a Magistrate Court building inside the council secretariat.
The spokesperson for the EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said the incident shocked the electricity distribution company.
“In the early hours of today, Monday, May 16, at about 1:45 a.m., the Ogidi District of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company was set ablaze by unidentified criminals leaving about 32 utility and operational vehicles all burnt, including other assets and equipment within the premises,” he said.
Mr Ezeh said the arsonists inflicted machete cuts on a security official at the company’s office for refusing to surrender his rifle to them.
“The victim is currently receiving treatment at the hospital,” he said. “We thank God that no life was lost.”
“We condemn this unjustifiable act and pray such does not reoccur,” he added.
Mr Ezeh lamented that the incident happened at a time EEDC had made huge investments to improve on its operations to transform the socio-economic condition of the people in the area.
The EEDC spokesperson said they made unsuccessful efforts to reach the Anambra State Fire Service during the attack.
The electricity company officials were helpless as they watched the fire destroy the entire structure and other assets, he said.
“It later took the intervention of the Commissioner for Utilities, Anambra State, Julius Chukwuemeka, at about 9.05 a.m. to bring the fire service team down to the scene of the incident,” he said.
He said the company had reported the incident to the “relevant authorities” and expressed hope that an investigation would be carried out to fish out the suspects.
“There is no way a developing economy as ours can progress if we continue to record this kind of incident,” he added.
Credit: Premium Times