BREAKING: EEDC office set ablaze in Anambra

Unidentified criminal elements set fire to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) Ogidi District headquarters in the early hours of Monday.

About 32 utility and operating vehicles, as well as other assets and equipment on the property, were destroyed in the fire.

This comes at the same time that arsonists set fire to a Magistrate Court and a local government Secretariat.

Mr Emeka Ezeh, the EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, verified the occurrence.

Ezeh noted that attempts to contact the Anambra State Fire Service at the time to come and rescue the situation had failed, leaving members of staff on the ground powerless as they watched the office building and other assets burn.

According to him, “it later took the intervention of the Honourable Commissioner for Utilities, Anambra State, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka, at about 9.05 am this morning to bring the Fire Service team down to the scene of the incident”.

The management of EEDC expressed shock over this ugly incident which is happening at a time the company has invested so much to improve its operations and transform the socio-economic landscape of the area.

“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 be carried out 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.

The crooks attacked one of the security employees at the office and caused many machete cuts on his head, leg, and arm as they demanded his pistol, while his other colleagues bolted for their life, according to reports.

The victim is presently undergoing medical care.

“We praise God that no one was killed. “We condemn this heinous conduct and wish that it never happens again,” Ezeh stated.