The people of Imo State have been thrown into darkness in the last couple of days, following what authorities of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) blamed on vandals.

The blackout, which occurred on Friday, March 14, was said to have been caused by the vandalisation of NEPA 132KV Aba-Owerri high tension line, which supplies electricity to the entire Imo State.

The unfortunate incident, which is said to have also caused the collapse of a 148-tower line at Agbala town in Owerri North, has caused acute water scarcity in the state, making residents of the state to resort mainly to water supply from boreholes in private homes to cause long queues and difficulty in obtaining drinking water and that needed for other purposes. Others resort to stream water for their chores.

Commenting on the incident in Owerri, the Assistant General Manager of NEPA, Aba Transmission Sub-region, Mr. I.J Anyamah, who visited the scene of the vandalisation, condemned the evil act.

The vandalisation at Agbala, Anyamah said, was the 9th and most devastating of all NEPA recorded vandalisations in the area in the past.

He traced the history of vandalisation of the Aba-Owerri NEPA high tension line to June, 2000 when it started full scale.

The Assistant General Manager stated that the Corporation was more alarmed at the recent vandalisation because about tens of thousands of kilometers of conductors were carted away, adding that untold damage was also done to other NEPA installations.

The transmission Engineer regretted that the incident was most devastating because there was no help in sight "as there is no feedback of power supply to the state and it's environs" to effect immediate repair work.

A release signed by NEPA public Relations Officer, Ositadinma Ugwuafor, said the district management had put temporary security measures in place to forestall further vandalisation.