Electricity consumers bypassing metering system in Ogun State have been warned to desist from such acts of energy theft or be ready to face the wrath of the law.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), gave the warning on Thursday, during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in the Sango/Ota Business District of the company in Ado-Odo/Òtá local government area of Ogun State.
The company also disclosed that residents of the state were indebted to IBEDC to the tune of N78billion out of which the Sango/Ota Business District alone is owing over N28billion.
Speaking at the meeting, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the IBEDC, Engr. Kingsley Achife warned residents of the state against assaulting any of the company’s staff as well as acts of vandalization of the electricity installations across the state, explained that such attitudes constitute an economic sabotage against the nation.
Represented by the company’s Lead Media Officer, Busolami Tunwas, Achife said anybody caught assaulting the company staff or engage in energy theft would be prosecuted, stressing that the new Electricity Act signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recommends stiffer punishment for the trio offences of energy theft; assault of officials, as well as vandalization of electricity installations.
He explained that the company called for the engagement with the customers so as to seek better working relationships and to appeal to the people to assist the company in paying their debts, which was now becoming a source of concern.
“Another issue is that of energy theft, where customers short-change the company. They are either not paying for what they use or not paying completely for the energy consumed. Some customers do this by bypassing their metres, some don’t have metres at all, they just connect to their houses directly. They do these mostly in the night, these are economic sabotage. The people should get their metres and eradicate problems of crazy billings.
“In addition to this is the use of illicit meters, when the customers don’t buy such metres from us the money goes elsewhere and we have made the metres available. You don’t even need a third party to obtain your metres, all you have to do is to pay into a designated bank account,” he stated.
Pointing out that the debt being owed IBEDC by Ogun State residents was already a burden to the company, Achife also appealed to customers to desist from tampering with the metering system, vandalization of electric installations, stressing that the offences attract a 21-year imprisonment.
He also enlightened the people to understand that moving meters from one location to another without IBEDC’s authorisation also constitutes an offence of “energy theft”.
Achife, however, enjoined prospective customers desiring to acquire meter to follow the right channel stipulated by IBEDC, warning that any meter bought outside the recognised companies could cause damages.
