By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has pledged to collaborate with the Ministry of Power to combat vandalism and energy theft, which the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said were costing the sector billions of naira annually.
The pledge followed a courtesy visit by a Ministry of Power delegation, led by Tegbe, to the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
A statement by the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, quoted the minister as saying that vandalism of power infrastructure and energy theft were undermining the sector, and that the ministry lacked the statutory powers to prosecute offenders.
He therefore sought the commission’s support in investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities allegedly involved in economic crimes affecting the sector.
“There are two areas where we need your intervention. One area is vandalism. There is a lot of vandalism going on in this country. People are stealing manhole covers and other valuables. The vandalism is affecting our towers,” Tegbe said.
He explained that although President Bola Tinubu had charged the ministry to create awareness and prosecute offenders, it lacked the power to do so. “We can only report to you. They can be arrested and prosecuted. We believe the Commission can help us in that area. We need to collaborate,” he said.
On energy theft, the minister said some electricity consumers were failing to pay for power supplied to them, resulting in significant revenue losses. “Companies that have access to power do not pay electricity bills. We are losing billions annually. We need your intervention,” he said.
Tegbe commended Olukoyede’s record in investigating and prosecuting economic and financial crimes and recovering proceeds of crime, describing his approach as “bold and ambitious.”
He expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between the ministry and the commission would help curb activities undermining the power sector and support efforts to improve electricity supply, and thanked the EFCC for its intervention in the legal dispute that had stalled the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant project in Kaduna State.
Responding, 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 to introduce Fraud Risk Assessment and Control mechanisms across its projects.
“We are ready to work with you, particularly in the area of incorporating Fraud Risk Assessment and Control into all your projects, both the abandoned ones and the new ones coming up. We will set up a team to analyse and audit some of the projects,” he said.
He further assured the ministry of the commission’s support in monitoring ongoing projects, stressing the need for preventive measures against fraud.
“We must not wait till monies are stolen, particularly on sensitive projects. It is not going to be business as usual,” he said.
