Blackout: Enact death sentence law for public infrastructure vandalism — Arewa youths tell NASS

Following the recurrent vandalism of power towers that has plunged the entire North East subregion into total darkness for about two months, the Arewa Youth Assembly has called on the National Assembly to enact laws prescribing the death penalty for public infrastructure vandals.

The group noted that if the activities of the vandals remain unchecked, they could escalate from destroying power towers to other public infrastructure, which might hinder the growth and development of the region.

The North East coordinator of the Arewa group, Dr. Usman Jada, said the vandals of three additional power line towers along the Biu-Damboa 132kv transmission line are saboteurs determined to keep the North East region in darkness despite government efforts to restore power.

According to him, “We join other voices of reason in the North East region to condemn the vandalization of three towers (T1690, T1691, and T1692) along the Biu–Danboa 132kV transmission line and the theft of 16 spans of conductors, which have continued to leave the North East region without a proper supply of electricity.

“This is an act of deliberate sabotage to frustrate the TCN’s effort to meet the May 27th deadline for fully restoring power to the North East, and it is no coincidence that it happened at such a time when the TCN is making massive efforts to reconstruct the already vandalized towers.

“These vandals must be stopped, and therefore we are calling on the National Assembly to enact laws carrying the death penalty for anyone found vandalizing any facility. Otherwise, they will keep destroying facilities meant for the public, thereby exposing host communities to the dangers of destroyed towers and unending darkness.

“It is also paramount for North East stakeholders, the Vice President, the National Security Adviser, and North East Governors to rally support for the Minister of Power and TCN Management to ensure the protection of critical government facilities and installations in the North East.”

Dr. Jada also mentioned that the group will soon commence a sensitization campaign across the region on the importance of safeguarding public infrastructure.

He further appealed to security agencies responsible for the protection of public infrastructure to apprehend those responsible for the power line vandalism across the region.