The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Osun State Command has detained nine individuals for allegedly tampering with the meters in their homes in order to avoid paying the proper amount for the electricity they utilized.
The commandant in a statement singed by the command PRO, Adeleke Kehinde, said the suspects were apprehended at Owode along Ilesa Road in Osun State On March 28 at around 8:00 p.m, during a joint task force operation by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Osun State Command and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC)
The head of the NSCDC in Osun, Commandant Agboola, announced on Sunday that nine suspects, eight males and one female, had been apprehended in the act.
Commandant Agboola said, “The command has a stong synergy with IBEDC, our personnel went on a joint task force operation with the company, round 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.
“We shall leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of energy theft to book, NSCDC will keep arresting those people, to serve as deterrent to those engaging in criminal infractions such as vandalism, bypass, illegal connection, load diversion and others.”
He implored members of the public to report the actions of vandals and saboteurs to the nearest NSCDC in their area in order to contribute to ongoing efforts to protect important national assets in their neighborhood.
The suspects will be prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction, according to the State commandant, who revealed that they made a confessional statement admitting to the commission of the energy theft. This will serve as a deterrent to others who are tampering with meters installed in their homes.
In addition, Commandant Agboola advised IBEDC non-staff to avoid electricity installations that encroached on these facilities while pretending to be performing maintenance.