The Ikeja Electric Company has disclosed that it had spent over N11 million in 18 months on the repair and upgrade of its installations were damaged by vandals.
According to a statement issued by Managing Director of the company, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, the company lost huge revenue through meter bypassing involving more than 75,000 customers, further alleging that the customers had not paid their electricity bills for months.
He urged its customers to be part of continuing efforts to safeguard the company’s installations in their neighbourhoods.
He said they could do that by reporting the activities of “vandals and saboteurs” to law enforcement agencies or the Ikeja Electric business offices.
He however said that the company had since received the backing of various security agencies who had expressed the commitment to checking the activities of vandals through arrest and prosecution.
He added that the company was currently installing advanced pre-paid meters across its network in line with its commitment to serving its customers well.
According to the statement, the company’s advanced meters, meter application forms and installation services were free of charge.
The statement informed that eight persons had been arrested for allegedly tampering with meters installed by the company’s Abule-Egba and Ikorodu business units.
“The illegal action, widely referred to as ‘meter bypass’, involves deliberate manipulation of meter installations to circumvent appropriate payment for energy consumed,” he said.
He explained that the suspects were arrested by the men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and mobile policemen on October 6 and 9 following a complaint by the company.
“Investigations are ongoing to ensure that the suspects are made to face the wrath of the law along with their collaborators who are believed to be part of a notorious syndicate.”
