NSCDC PARADES 3 MAN SYNDICATE THAT STEAL AND SELL EEDC PRE-PAID METERS IN ENUGU
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Enugu State Command, has paraded three suspects, Commander Friday Nnanna also known as JAPAN, Chukwudi Odianya and Godswill Nnanna Mmaduagwu for stealing smart card prepaid meters belonging to the Enugu Electric Distribution Company, EEDC.
The pre-paid meters were stolen from the EEDC Independence Layout Maintenance Centre, Enugu.
The Enugu State Commandant of NSCDC, Mrs. Chinwe Eucharia, Kanuu, who made this known while parading the suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters at New Market, Enugu, said Godswill Nnanna Mmaduagwu from Nekede in Imo State, who claimed to be a contract staff of EEDC, was apprehended by the officials of NSCDC attached to the centre while trying to sell the meters to prospective buyers.
The two other suspects, Commander Friday Nnanna, from Afikpo in Ebonyi State, who claimed to be the Enugu East Senatorial Commander of the State government security outfit, Vigilant, Neighbourhood Watch Group; and Chukwudi Odianya from Awgu Local Government Area also claimed to be official of the defunct National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA, were arrested same day, and were alleged to have come to buy the meters from Godswill Nnanna.
According to the NSCDC boss, the two suspects connived to collect money from the customers to provide and install stolen smart card meters, which were supposed to be free.
“We are here because of something that started happening since morning , around 8:20am. I’m sure a lot of the populace knows that one of the major mandates of civil defence is to protect all government infrastructure, federal state and local governments and EEDC happens to be one of them.
“So our boys are there. So at Independence Layout maintenance centre, one of my boys this morning noticed a strange movement from one of the workers there, we have been there for a while, so we are a bit used to some of the faces of the workers there; so after a while one of my boys had to ask the guy, today is a public holiday, most workers are home, why are you in the office?
“He said he was actually waiting for a truck that will come and off load some meters and some other materials, so because of the kind of training we give to our men, he started trailing to know why the job was being done on a holiday specifically May 1. After a while, the EEDC worker went behind the building spent a little time and resurfaced with a carton and that raised the curiosity of my personnel who confronted him to enquire from him what he had in the carton and requested him to open the carton,” Mrs. Kanuu stated.
The NSCD Commandant went further to say “So he opened it, and it was loaded with meters. At that time, calls apparently from prospective buyers who were calling his phone to take custody of the items. As the things started unfolding he already knew that, that worker of the EEDC had become a suspect, while he was waiting to see the callers, and of course,
they were nearby and that was how we apprehended them,” Mrs. Kanuu explained.
The NSCDC boss added that the suspects would be arraigned in court immediately the command finished investigation.
She advised anyone still perpetrating such act to desist or be ready to face the wrath of the law.
Reacting, Mr. Godswill Nnanna Mmaduagwu, who claimed to be a contract staff of EEDC, said he went into the illicit act out of frustration and advised young people to desist from anything that would destroy their future.
When journalists asked him what he often did with the meters, he responded by saying “I gave it to somebody who has been persuading me for that and before God and man, where he takes the meters to I don’t know.
“The day he called me talking about that, I said I can’t do it, but under frustrations, I was witch hunt and I saw myself going towards another direction that is not where I was I planned going.”
When asked how much he sells the meters, he said, “the buyers told him that two meters might fetch him up to thirty thousand naira. Anybody he gives the meters I don’t know.”
Similarly, Chukwudi Odianya, who allegedly buys the stolen meters from Godswill and sells to Friday, alias Japan, who installs and sells to customers, said he regretted their actions.
Also, Friday Nnanna advised residents to always follow the legal means while trying to obtain meters from EEDC.
Our correspondent reports that one hilux security pick up van with registration number Aw506USL, four pump action guns, dagger, police and military bullet proof vests were allegedly recovered from Friday Nnanna alias Japan while a 190 Mercedes Benz car with registration number AG 401 KMC Kano and cables were recovered from Chukwudi Odianya.
CHRISTIAN NWANGENE