Energy Theft: DisCo Wants Mobile Courts To Try Offenders

Concise News correspondents with Agency report

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Osogbo Business Hub, has called  on the Federal Government to establish mobile courts to try energy theft offenders.

IBEDC Branding and Communication Manager, Kikelomo Owoeye, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Osogbo.

Owoeye said that due to the problem of illegal connection and energy theft, the company could hardly get 30 per cent revenue of the energy supplied to customers.

Concise News recalls that Port Harcourt DisCo recently made a similar complaint of losing N2.2bn monthly to energy theft.

30 per cent instead of 100 per cent

“Rather than collect 100 per cent  of what we supplied, it is quite unfortunate that we don’t even recoup up to 30 per cent of what we have pushed out for customers’ consumption, Owoeye said.

“There are different factors responsible for this. It, however, has to do mainly with vandalism, illegal connection and energy theft.

“Therefore, it will not be out of place if the government could provide mobile courts to tackle these issues. This will be more efficient than trying such cases in the regular courts.

“Trying energy theft in regular courts takes a long time considering our judiciary system,’’ she said.

Owoeye said government should play its role by empowering distribution companies in prosecuting offenders. She added that this is what the DisCos need to curb the dastardly act.

She also said government needed a strong policy that would make Nigerians perceive energy theft and vandalism as national sabotage.

Owoeye said if power was stable in the country, there would be economic development.