Oredola Adeola

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc, has recorded over 1,459 cases of energy theft between January and February 2024, including various offenses such as meter bypass and illegal meter tampering, prompting a collaboration with Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences (SIPTEO) for thorough investigations and legal actions against the perpetrators.

Mr. Johnson Tinuoye, IBEDC’s Chief Key Accounts Officer, made this known in a statement obtained by Advisors Reports, on Tuesday.

According to him the over 1,459 cases of energy theft discovered within the system between January and February 2024, amounted to hundreds of millions of Naira with significant financial losses for the company.

The escalating figures, according to the statement, have prompted a strategic partnership with the Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences, a federal government agency dedicated to expediting the investigation and prosecution of offenders within IBEDC’s franchise.

Mr. Tinuoye emphasized that under the Electricity Act, energy theft is now recognized as a criminal offense, carrying severe penalties including imprisonment. In the same vein in Osun region, two individuals were apprehended for stealing energy through meter bypass and illegal connections. Their cases have been formally charged in court for prosecution.

“We want to send a clear message to our customers that energy theft will not be tolerated. Our collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences underscores our commitment to ensuring a fair and just electricity distribution system.

“Energy theft not only undermines the integrity of our operations but also deprives IBEDC of the revenue necessary to provide quality services to our customers.” Mr. Tinuoye stated.

IBEDC therefore urged customers under its network to refrain from engaging in any form of energy theft, emphasizing that the consequences can be severe.

Tinuoye warned that there is no room for negotiation with the SIPTEO Task Force team which is actively patrolling and investigating instances of energy theft for prosecution.

Advisors Reports gathered that the Special Task Force for the investigation and prosecution of electricity theft cases was approved in 2017 Abubakar Malami, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, under the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, and inaugurated by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.

Members of the task force were drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the DPPF’s office, and were charged to commence work immediately by arresting and prosecuting electricity thieves across the country.