Residents lament as vandals steal transformer components in Osogbo

Residents of the Bolorunduro community, Zone 5, Oroki, Agunbelewo, Osogbo, Osun State, have been thrown into darkness after vandals stole major components of the transformer serving the community. The residents, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, said social life and business activities had been disrupted in the area due to lack of electricity supply. Daily […]

Residents of the Bolorunduro community, Zone 5, Oroki, Agunbelewo, Osogbo, Osun State, have been thrown into darkness after vandals stole major components of the transformer serving the community.

The residents, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, said social life and business activities had been disrupted in the area due to lack of electricity supply. Daily Trust learnt that the transformers at Iragbiji and Orororowu communities in Ikirun town were also dismantled by vandals, leaving the people in total darkness for many months.

The Chief Operating Officer of the Ibadan Electricity Company (IBEDC), Engineer John Ayodele, had consequently appealed to all communities to protect electrical installations in their localities from vandals.

Ayodele decried the incessant cases of vandalisation of such installations, saying that the activities of vandals had plunged a lot of households, businesses and communities into darkness, while costing the company revenue losses worth millions of naira.  According to him, “These vandals mostly target transformers and up-riser cables worth millions of naira.”

He explained that constant replacement of the installations was “counterproductive and detrimental.”

Ayodele decried the development, noting that the vandals’ actions were becoming alarming and depriving many people of their right to steady power supply.

“From January to April 2020, more than 38 transformers, amounting to 1154.9mwh of undelivered energy, had been vandalised.

“For instance, in Olulana community under the Ijeun business hub, the 300kva transformer has been vandalized several times. Also in Ogun State, the Victory 500kva transformer in Mowe community was vandalized on different occasions,” he said.

Engr Ayodele also said vandals carted away cables of a 330kva and a 500kva transformers at Surulere and Kuponniyi sub-stations at Oyo State.

He, therefore, urged community leaders, youth associations and security agencies to work with IBEDC in the protection of electrical installations within their communities.

He also encouraged vigilante groups and any patriotic member of the communities with useful information to report cases or culprits of vandalism promptly.