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The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has arraigned six individuals before Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. T. M. Kassim Adeyelure at Court 6, Eti-Osa Magisterial District, for alleged Energy theft and conspiracy.
The defendants, Abiodun Aremu (40), Okwori Joseph (40), Ebi Veronica (28), Vanella Macaulay (25), Loritta Etim (27), and Oyindamola Adekunle (31) were apprehended following a raid on February 7, 2026, at No. 11, Mayowa Hassan Street, Marshy-Hill Estate, Okeira Nla, Ajah, Lagos State, where the suspects were allegedly found to have allegedly bypassed the company’s metering system.
According to the charge sheet, the six individuals are facing a two-count charge.
In the first count, they are accused of conspiring among themselves to commit a felony, specifically the Appropriation of Power, an offence contrary to Section 411 and punishable under Section 412 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The second count charges the defendants with fraudulently abstracting and diverting electrical power derived from the Eko Electricity Distribution Company for their own use. This act is punishable under Section 295 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015. The prosecution argued that these illegal connections not only result in significant financial losses for the distribution company but also compromise the safety and stability of the power network in the Ajah axis.
Commenting on the arraignment, the Management of EKEDC reiterated its zero-tolerance policy against energy theft, Mr. Babatunde Lasaki, General Manager, Corporate Communications stated,
“Energy theft is a major sabotage against our efforts to provide stable electricity to our esteemed customers. When people abstract power illegally, they overload our transformers and compromise the voltage quality for those who are paying diligently. This legal action is necessary not just to recover revenue, but to protect the integrity of our infrastructure and ensure fairness for our loyal customers.”
The company emphasized that electricity diversion is a criminal act that undermines efforts to provide sustainable power to law-abiding customers.
EKEDC affirmed that it would continue to identify and prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law to serve as a deterrent to others. (Weekend Trust)
