EFCC Exposes Contractor’s Fake Power Lines Plot, Saves Nigeria from Disaster

ABUJA—In a bold move that averted potential catastrophe, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2024 intercepted a contractor’s scheme to deploy fake and substandard transmission lines for a major power project, EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede revealed Wednesday.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by Engineer Olusegun Adesayo, Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (MEMSA), at the EFCC headquarters, Olukoyede detailed how investigations exposed the contractor—mobilized by the Ministry of Power for a N4.5 billion transmission line contract. The firm had imported counterfeit aluminum conductor steel-reinforced (ACSR) cables, notorious for their poor tensile strength and fire hazards, which could have triggered widespread blackouts, equipment failures, and loss of lives across Nigeria’s fragile grid.

“We wrote to the Ministry of Power to blacklist the contractor after confirming the fake lines,” Olukoyede said. “This saved the nation from disaster, possible deaths, and losses running into hundreds of millions of naira.” Reports from Vanguard and EFCC channels indicate the subpar materials failed international standards like IEC 61089, risking collapse under load and exposing millions to electrocution dangers—echoing past incidents like the 2023 Kainji grid failures.

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Olukoyede pledged deeper collaboration with MEMSA to tackle economic sabotage in the power sector, beyond traditional financial crimes. “Our mandate covers this fully. Together, we can enforce rules, improve supply, and root out procurement fraud where EFCC excels,” he assured, urging vigilance on contract irregularities.

Adesayo, whose agency enforces technical standards under the Electricity Act 2023, hailed the partnership as vital for safeguarding public infrastructure. “MEMSA ensures safety, reliability, and quality in electrical cables nationwide,” he said, seeking EFCC’s expertise in intelligence sharing, probing substandard imports, contract abuses, and capacity building. He committed to internal reforms aligning with Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, emphasizing regulation’s role in protecting resources amid rising power theft cases—over 15,000 reported in 2025 per NEMSA data.

The meeting underscores escalating scrutiny on Nigeria’s power industry, plagued by graft costing billions annually. With MEMSA’s mandate to certify meters and lines, this alliance could curb the N500 billion+ yearly losses from vandalism and fakes, boosting the government’s 2026 power stability goals.