The Emohua Local Government Council in Rivers State has recovered dismantled electrical installations allegedly abandoned by suspected vandals along the Emohua-Ogbakiri-Kalabari Road.
The development was contained in a statement signed by Bright Jossy-Elendu, Special Adviser to the Emohua Local Government Chairman on Information and Strategic Communication, on Sunday.
The recovery followed a distress call in the early hours of Sunday reporting the vandalisation of a high-tension electricity line by suspected vandals who allegedly disguised themselves as scavengers.
Jossy said, the Chief of Staff to the Emohua Local Government Chairman, Barr. Peter Ugari, who led a security and surveillance team to the scene, said the suspects fled into the bush after sighting the response team.
Ugari stated that the uspects, who were allegedly armed with dangerous weapons, left behind the electrical installations they had already dismantled.
He subsequently led the team to the Emohua Ultra-Modern Market along the East-West Road, where the activities of suspected scavengers were reported to the leader of the Hausa/Fulani community in the area.
According to him, the recovered items were handed over to the Emohua Division of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The council said the continued vandalisation of electrical installations, including transformer components, high-tension wires and poles, was undermining efforts by Chairman Sir Chidi Lloyd to improve electricity supply across the local government area.
The council called on the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), benefiting communities, community leaders and youth leaders to take responsibility for protecting electrical installations and other public infrastructure.
It warned that government could not continue to invest in projects in communities where public infrastructure was left vulnerable to vandalism.
