Officers and men of the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested seven suspects over alleged energy theft as well as tampering with electricity meters.
The suspects, who were picked up from various locations in the Ilorin metropolis, including Amayo, Ganmo, Olunlade, Kangu, Irewolede, and Zango areas during a raid by the combined team of NSCDC and officials of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), were said to have been involved in energy stealing and meter bypassing in their residential houses.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NSCDC in the state, Ayoola Michael, who confirmed the arrest, said that the raid was a continuation of efforts started by the security agency on those involved in the vandalization of government property in the state.
Ayoola, who recalled that five suspects were arrested at the University of Ilorin staff quarters in Jalala Estate with the alleged theft of electric cables and wires, said that the suspects had already been charged to court.
The PRO said those involved in energy theft, tampering with meters, and racketeering should be treated as economic saboteurs, adding that “the NSCDC would not relent in waging war against them until we get rid of them and make the property of the government safe.
“We have commenced the raid of houses in some areas in the state to ensure that people do not tamper with electricity meters. We are warning those that usually tamper with electricity meters that it will no longer be business as usual.”
The PRO said that the seven suspects arrested are being investigated and interrogated by officials of the NSCDC and would soon be charged to court on completion of the investigation.
Also speaking, the head of IBEDC in Kwara region comprising Kwara state and part of Oyo, Niger, and Kogi states, Engineer Oluwatoyin Akinyosoye, said that cases of energy theft in the form of tampering with meters, bypassing, and racketeering were on the increase in the area of operation of the electricity distribution company.
Akinyosoye, who said that the company discovered that it was running at a loss, stated that “we discovered that what we get as revenue on a monthly basis fell short of the energy we purchased from those that produced the energy,” adding that every bit of energy stolen is a loss to IBEDC.
He said that most of the arrested suspects were found to have bypassed the meter, “which is a form of economic sabotage.”
The regional head, while noting that IBEDC can still boast of good customers in the region, said that the company had embarked on a sensitization program for its customers in the region and urged the people to expose bad elements in society.
He said that “10% of the penalty that would be paid by those that flouted the law would be given as compensation to whistleblowers.”
He, however, advised people who discovered any fault in their meters to report such directly to energy distribution offices for correction, instead of engaging roadside technicians to fix such meters, adding that IBEDC had experts that can correct meter faults.
