Three men identified as Ekong Ekwere (70 years), EkongIniobong Abraham (25 years) and Kazeem Otapo (44 years) were arraigned before the Agbara Magistrate Court on June 10, 2020 over electricity meter bypass (energy theft) and assault on two staff of Eko Electricity Distribution Company at the Ago Eto area of Agbara, Ogun State.
This information was revealed to journalists by the General Manager, Corporate Communications of EKEDC, Godwin Idemudia, who appealed to customers to desist from energy theft and assaulting staff of the company.
Idemudia highlighted in his statement the alarming rate of theft of electricity energy and violence against workers in the electricity distribution industry and reiterated EKEDC’s zero tolerance to these heinous acts.
The arraignment of the three followed a five-count charge of committing felony to wit stealing of electricity energy by tampering with and bypassing a prepaid meter valued at N739,350.92 (Ekong Ekwere), illegally and fraudulently receiving electricity units valued at N301,000 (Kazeem Otapo), conduct in a manner likely to breach peace and assault on Benjamin Isah and Moses Adeyemi Oke, staff of EKEDC, while lawfully performing their duties.
The suspects appeared before Magistrate B.O. Ilo, who read the five-count charge to them.
The three all pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge, while the defendants’ counsel orally applied for the bail.
The Magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.
Ilo adjourned the case till July 7, 2020 for trial and ordered them to be remanded at the Ibara facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Abeokuta pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Idemudia advised the public against energy theft, meter bypass and assault against EKEDC staff as the company will go the full length of the law to seek justice against these acts.
He also assured all staff of Eko Electricity Distribution Company of their safety while performing their lawful duties as measures are in place to curb such acts.