A Federal High Court in Lokoja sentenced Akoji Jonah to five years in prison for vandalising armoured transformer cables in Kogi State.
Mr Jonah was convicted on Monday for vandalising cables belonging to Kogi State Electricity Development Limited (KEDL) at Biraidu Community in Dekina Local Government Area of the state.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kogi State Command, disclosed this in a statement on Monday by its spokesperson, Aliyu Abdullahi.
According to the Corps, Justice of the High Court 2, Lokoja, delivered the judgment and found the defendant guilty of vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure and economic sabotage.
In recent years, vandalism has become a significant threat to Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
In May, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said it recorded no fewer than 276 cases of tower vandalism between 2022 and 2025.
Reacting to the judgment, the Kogi State Commandant of the NSCDC, Aletan Olumide Ebenezer, commended the Command’s Legal Unit led by DCC Ike Ugochukwu for diligence and professionalism in prosecuting the case.
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Mr Ebenezer said the conviction was made possible by a thorough investigation by personnel of the intelligence and investigation unit.
He described the judgment as a strong deterrent to individuals and groups involved in the destruction of public utilities and critical national assets.
The commandant reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting national infrastructure and warned criminal elements to desist from acts capable of disrupting electricity supply and undermining economic development.
He said the Command would sustain operational and intelligence-driven efforts to rid the state of vandals and economic saboteurs, while urging the public to report suspicious activities around electricity installations to security agencies.
