SAPELE – The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) installations supplying electricity to Sapele town and environs, have been vandalised by some yet to be identified persons over the weekend.
Conducting newsmen round the area where the vandalisation occurred on the Sapele-Warri express road, the works Centre Manager, Amukpe, Engr. Ephraim Akujobi, said towers 127 to 132 were affected but the conductor was not removed because of the quick intervention of the vigilante group in the area.
He said the vandalised lines energises Amukpe 30 MVA transformer station, adding that there was no power from Amukpe on Sunday night, adding that by Monday morning, it was discovered that the line was vandalised between tower 127 to 132, the lowest of the conductor lying low on the ground.
Engr. Akujobi added that the lines radiate from Delta to Benin and are made up of about 301 (three hundred and one) towers with security guards mostly hunters from the community employed to guard the lines. He further added that 100 (One hundred) of them were employed with one person to three towers.
He, however said the PHCN had put their workers on ground to ensure that light is restored in the next one week, while alternative arrangement had been put on ground with the business manager in Warri and Sapele.
On the estimated damage, the Assistant General Manager, Transmission, Benin Region, Engr. Andrew Ikem said it was difficult to quantify the amount of damage considering the cost of conductors and other accessories but put it at about 50 million naira.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Company, Benin Region, Elder Rufus Imafidon used the occasion to appeal to the security agents to always watch out for any vehicle going out of the area to other neigbouring states, especially those carrying aluminium conductors, insulators and other equipment believed to belong to PHCN.
He equally appealed to the community leaders and vigilante groups to be more vigilant by reporting anybody close to PHCN equipment to the nearest PHCN officer or the police.
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