Vandals Disrupt Power Supply in Nine Abia Communities by Tampering with Gas Pipelines

Residents in the Aba Ringfence, encompassing nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State, have experienced their first power outage in over a month following an attack on the Aba Power Plant’s gas pipeline by vandals.

The vandals, reportedly searching for crude oil and petroleum products, targeted the Eastern Gas Network, which supplies gas to the power station, over the weekend.

In a statement issued on Monday, January 20, Ugo Opiegbe, Managing Director of Aba Power, disclosed the incident, noting that it marked the end of 31 uninterrupted days of power supply in the communities.

“After 31 days of constant power supply, residents in the Aba Ringfence… experienced their first power outage this weekend,” Opiegbe said. “We apologise for losing supplies from Heirs Energies, in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.”

He also extended apologies to customers, highlighting the achievement of continuous power since December 17, making the Aba Ringfence communities among the first in Nigeria to experience such a service in recent years.

Despite the disruption, Opiegbe stated that some parts of the Aba Ringfence still have electricity. “We quickly switched to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company for a quick fix because we don’t want our cherished customers, who have been expressing satisfaction with our service since December, to be without power,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that the alternative supply from NDPHC was limited, leaving some areas without electricity. Opiegbe assured residents of the company’s commitment to restoring full power. “We will not rest until consumers in all nine LGAs in our coverage area begin to enjoy uninterrupted electricity once again,” he said.