By Oriri Peter

Following the vigorous campaign against vandalism by the Managing Director of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, no fewer than 12 suspected vandals have been apprehended by security apparatchiks in the Bauchi and Benue states.

In a press statement officially signed by Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah, Head Cooperate Communications of JED, noted that the suspected criminals were nabbed while carrying out the act by members of vigilante groups in the two states.

In Bauchi, the suspected vandals numbering eight ( had succeeded in vandalising the 300KVA substation at Yankari 33kV Feder in Alkaleri Local Government Area by cutting 30 meters of 70mm2 and 6 meters of 150 mm3 as well as draining the transformer oil.

The arrested suspects were as follows – Nuhu Ibrahim (18), Suleiman Abubakar (18), Umar Musa (24), Ahmed Bala (25), Bashir Yunusa (24), Bashir Halilu (23).

Adam A. Adam (40) and Salish Ibrahim who were the receivers of the vandalised items were equally apprehended by the police.

Similarly, in Otukpo, Benue State, at about midnight of 2nd Nov 2022, one Audu Usman was seen vandalising JED Plc’s electric wire at number 38 Lagos street Otukpo.

He was arrested by volunteer guard/vigilante men on patrol at Lagos street.

After interrogation, he confessed that he and others yet to be arrested were majorly behind so many cases of prepaid meter bypass in the area.

In the same vein, one Mr Terpase Samuel age 27, was caught in the process of removing a Feeder Piller bar and its Units of 300kva Hillside Transformer at Adi Agor Road, GRA, Gboko by a Youth.

All the arrested suspects have been handed over to the police for interrogation and prosecution.

Commenting on the spate of the arrest, the Chief Security Officer of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi commended the local security outfits and the youth and said that there would be no more hiding places for energy criminals in the company’s franchise areas.

In his response, the Managing Director of the company, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, thanked the youth and the various vigilante groups for their patriotic act which culminated in numerous arrests.

He charged members of the public to challenge suspected movements around electricity installations to ascertain the genuineness of the person.

“If the suspected person in our facilities can not give a cogent reason as to why he is there or can not properly identify himself, arrest and take him or her to the nearest police station”, he ordered.

It would be recalled that shortly after assuming office as the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Engr Abdu Bell Mohammed paid a courtesy visit to some communities and security agencies within the company’s areas of operation where he pleaded with them to go hard against electricity vandals.