PHCN seeks public cooperation to stall vandalisation
By ABDULLAHI BABA ALAWUSA

THE management of Kano Electricity Distribution Company Plc, has called on members of the public to be vigilant by ensuring only authorized PHCN officials should tamper with the company’s installations.
In a press statement, the principal manager (public affairs) of Kano Electricity Distribution Plc, Malam Mukhtari Baffa Usman, advised the general public to report suspicious persons tampering with PHCN installations to the nearest police station.
The PHCN spokesman warned that any person caught tampering with electrical installations is liable to prosecution, adding that the company will not hesitate to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure that defaulters were convicted in a court of law.
The warning is coming on the heels of a conviction by the Sabon Gari Sharia Court, Kano, which sentenced two electricity vandals to various terms of imprisonment without options of fine sometime last month.
According to Malam Baffa, the two vandals, Nazifi Hamza and Kamilu Musa were caught vandalizing the copper wire that was meant for electrical work at the 200KVA, 33/0.415KV substation in Dingin village of Minjibir local government area. the two were convicted for contravening section 22(s) 306 of the C.P.C.
The PHCN image-maker disclosed that the convicts were caught in the act by the local vigilante group which formally handed them over to the Minjibir police station, adding that the case was later transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the police command headquarters in Bompai, Kano.
Malam Baffa explained that, in order to curtail further vandalisation of the 300KVA, 11/0.41KV Friden substation at Farm Centre, Kano, where it was discovered that 150mm2x4 core (Armoured cable of 15 metres length had been illegally removed, some of the vital components of the substation have been redeployed to the company’s stores for safe keeping.
While reiterating the need for the general public to support the fight against electricity wares vandals by providing accurate and reliable information to the proper authorities, the principal manager however warned that vandalism is a serious offence in Nigeria.
He said: “People should know that the issue of electricity wares theft or vandalisation is a serious offence and once found guilty of committing the offence, the criminal(s) are liable to be jailed by a court of law; with or without options or fine.”
Section 10 of the Special Tribunal/Miscellaneous Act states that: “Any person, who unlawfully disconnects, removes, damages, tampers, meddles or in any way whatsoever interferes with any electric fittings, meters or other appliances used for generating, transforming converting, supplying or selling electricity shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 21 years.”