The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on Tuesday called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle the growing cases of vandalism and energy theft in the power sector.
Tegbe also lamented that some companies with access to electricity fail to pay their bills, saying the country loses billions of naira annually as a result.
The minister made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
Daily Trust reports that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) have repeatedly raised concerns over the destruction of electricity poles, theft of cables and other critical power infrastructure.
Tegbe said the Ministry of Power lacked the statutory powers to prosecute offenders involved in vandalism and energy theft.
The minister said tackling the problem required stronger collaboration among relevant government agencies to protect power infrastructure and ensure that consumers who receive electricity pay for the service.
He also called for closer cooperation between the ministry and the EFCC to strengthen enforcement and reduce financial losses in the sector.
The minister declared that he was fully in support of the commission’s steps in investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities involved in economic crimes undermining the power sector.
Reacting to the Minister’s demand, Olukoyede described vandalism and energy theft as revenue fraud and “major concerns and acts of economic sabotage”, pledging the commission’s collaboration with the ministry.
He also pledged to work with the ministry by instituting Fraud Risk Assessment and Control on all their projects.