… As AEDC partners with security agencies to fight vandals – Official***

A 67-year-old man, Olatunde Cole, appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday for alleged property fraud of N24.6 million.

Cole, a resident of the Mushin area of Lagos, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretences and stealing.

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He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Police prosecutor, SP Idowu Osungbure, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in 2016, at No 90, Fredrick McQueen Street, Lagos.

Osungbure said the defendant, with an accomplice still at large, leased property to the complainant, Mr Owoyele Kadiri, knowing fully well that the property was not theirs.

She said that the defendant stole the N24.6 million and did not give the complainant access to the property.

The newsmen report that Section 314 is punishable by 15 years imprisonment for obtaining by false pretences while 287 stipulates three years imprisonment for the offence of stealing.

Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Adedayo, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Adedayo held that the sureties must also submit copies of their National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to the court.

She further directed that one of the sureties must be a landowner, and both must be residing within the court’s jurisdiction and gainfully employed with evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Adedayo adjourned the case until June 7 for mention.

In another development, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on Wednesday said it would continue to partner with security agencies to fight vandals off its assets.

The AEDC’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Donald Etim, who made this known in a statement in Abuja, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installation in their areas through the various contact channels.

“AEDC will continue to partner with security agencies to curtail the menace of vandalism and energy theft on its distribution infrastructure.

Etim said that the company has zero tolerance for vandalism of its network assets irrespective of whether the perpetrators of such actions are its staff or members of the public.

He assured that the management of AEDC would not relent in its efforts to tackle vandalism and other mischiefs on its network.

“We are committed to ensuring that apprehended vandals are tried in accordance with the law and made to face the consequences of their actions without any prejudice.

‘’Disciplinary measures would take its full course, which in this case, is outright dismissal and loss of all employee benefits, in case of indicted members of staff,” he said.

According to him, vandalism of electricity network infrastructure is a serious offence, punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under Section 1(9) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act LFN, 2004.

Etim said that a staff of AEDC, Bamidele Rasaq, who was arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kogi State, was charged in a Chief Magistrate Court and sentenced to one-year imprisonment over his involvement in the vandalism of AEDC installations.

He said that in a related recent incident also, an upper Sharia Court sitting in Minna, Niger State, handed a one-year jail term to one Abdulsalamad Abubakar, who was caught vandalizing an AEDC substation in Paida junction of Minna.

He said that Abubakar was apprehended in the criminal act on March 29 by an official of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

“He was charged to court for contravening Sections 123 and 385 of the Sharia Penal Code law of Niger state, which prescribes five years imprisonment for the offence.

“The convict had earlier been paraded before journalists by the NPF ahead of his arraignment in court, alongside numerous items found in his possession,” Etim said.

He said that the items found with him include a 15-meter XLPE cable; 300mm incomer cable and 5 meters of 150mm cable.