No fewer than nine suspects were arrested for illegally tampering with electricity meters on Tuesday night, March 28, 2023, at Owode along Ilesa road of Osun State.
The suspected persons were apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state and officials of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The arrest was made known by the Osun NSCDC Commandant, Sunday Agboola, who said the suspects tampered with meters in their residences to circumvent appropriate payment for energy consumed.
Agboola, who spoke on Friday, through the Osun NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Adeleke Kehinde added that the nine arrested suspects included eight males and one female.
NIGERIACRIME also gathered that the suspects, in their confessional statements, told the police that they are guilty of the energy theft.
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Agboola noted that they will be prosecuted in court to deter others who intend to tamper with meters installed in their residences.
He said, “The command has a strong synergy with IBEDC, our personnel went on a joint task force operation with the company, around Osogbo in search of those manipulating meters in the state.
“It is not going to be business as usual as the command is ready to put a stop to this act.”
While revealing that energy theft, vandalism and other vices were major setbacks mitigating the development of the country, Agboola urged members of the public to be part of continuing efforts aimed at safeguarding critical national assets in their neighbourhood by reporting the activities of vandals and saboteurs to the nearest NSCDC office in their area.
‘’We shall leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of energy theft to book, NSCDC will keep arresting those people, to serve as a deterrent to those engaging in criminal infractions such as vandalism, bypass, illegal connection, load diversion and others.”
Agboola also warned non-staff of IBEDC to steer clear of power installations under the guise of maintenance.