Nine people who were allegedly tampering with power metres were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Osun State Command.
On Tuesday, March 28, 2023, near Owode along Ilesa road, during a combined task force operation, personnel of the Command and representatives of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) made the arrests.
They were taken into custody on suspicion of altering the metres in their homes in order to avoid paying for the energy they used properly.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by Adeleke Kehinde, the Osun NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Sunday Agboola, the commandant of the organisation, stated that the nine suspects who had been detained were eight men and one woman.
The defendants’ confessional statements confessing the commission of the electricity theft were also disclosed by the Osun NSCDC boss.
To discourage anyone from trying to tamper with metres put in their homes, he stated they will be charged in court.
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Commenting on the arrest, Agboola stated, “The command has a great synergy with IBEDC; our troops went on a combined task force operation with the firm, surrounding Osogbo in search of people manipulating metres in the state.
As the leadership is prepared to put a halt to this act, “business as usual” won’t be possible.
While acknowledging that energy theft, vandalism, and other vices were significant hindrances to the country’s development, Agboola urged the populace to contribute to ongoing efforts to protect important national assets in their neighbourhood by reporting the actions of vandals and saboteurs to the nearest NSCDC office in their area.
In order to serve as a deterrence to those who engage in criminal offences such vandalism, bypass, illegal connection, load diversion, and others, “We shall leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of energy theft to account,” the NSCDC will keep arresting those persons.
In addition, Agboola cautioned IBEDC visitors to avoid electricity installations that were being maintained in an unauthorised manner.
