Monday sit-at home: Unknown gunmen sets EEDC’s Anambra office ablaze

Osaze Isesele

Unidentified armed men in the early hours of Monday, May, 16, set Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC), Ogidi District office in Anambra state ablaze.

Mr. Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications, EEDC, in a statement on Monday, confirmed the incident.

This is happening few days after Charles Soludo, Anambra state Governor, visited Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

According to EEDC spokesperson , the incident, left about 32 utility and operational vehicles burnt, including other assets and equipment within the premises.

He said that efforts made to reach the Anambra State Fire Service at the time of the incident proved abortive, leaving members of staff who were on ground to assist in salvaging the situation helplessly, as they watched the office building and other assets went down in flames.

Ezeh said, “It later took the intervention of the Honourable Commissioner for Utilities, Anambra State, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka, at about 9.05am om Monday to bring the Fire Service team down to the scene of the incident”.

He noted that the management of EEDC is shocked over the ugly incident which according to him is happening at a time the company had spent so much to improve its operations and service delivery in the area.

He said, “This is a big loss to EEDC, and a great setback to the efforts being made by the company to strengthen its network and improve the quality of service to its customers within Ogidi and Anambra State at large.

“We have already brought this development to the attention of the relevant authorities and it is expected that proper investigation will commence and the perpetrators of this dastardly act brought to book”.

“There is no way a developing economy as ours can progress if we continue to record this kind of incident,” he said.

EnergyDay gathered that the attackers were said to have gained access into the office complex by pulling down part of the wall, they then attacked one of the security personnel manning the office and inflicted several machete wounds on his head, leg and arm as they were demanding his gun, while his other colleagues ran for their lives. The victim was said to be currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

Ezeh however noted that no life was lost and he is hopeful there wouldn’t be a repeat of the occurrence.

Tochukwu Ikenga, Anambra state PPRO, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, claimed that no life was lost, adding that the explosion caused by the vehicles that were set on fire, was averted by the joint efforts of the neighbours and police operatives.