A Federal High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, has sentenced three persons to six years imprisonment for unlawful tampering, disconnecting and damaging of electrical installations belonging to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC.
The convicts, Chibueze Emmanuel and Michael Genesis, were arrested in January 2022, while Ojuolape Olaitan was arrested in January 2024, by operatives of the Ogun State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
The trio were arraigned before Justice A. Demi-Ajayi, who convicted them after they had pleaded guilty to the offence.
After a review of facts, Justice Demi-Ajayi thereafter sentenced each of the defendants to six years of imprisonment.
IBEDC noted that energy theft includes meter bypass and illegal meter tampering, resulting in significant financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of naira for the company.
As stipulated by the Electricity Act, energy theft is now recognized as a criminal offense, carrying severe penalties including imprisonment.
“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. We urge our customers to refrain from engaging in any form of energy theft, as the consequences can be severe.”