NSCDC nabs 9 for meter bypass in Osun
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command has arrested nine persons for allegedly tampering with meters in their residences to circumvent appropriate payment for energy consumed.
The suspects were arrested at Owode along Ilesa road on Tuesday at about 8:000pm during a joint task force operation of NSCDC and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) personnel
The state NSCDC boss, Commandant Agboola Sunday, in a statement made available to newsmen by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Adeleke Kehinde, on Friday said that the nine suspects were caught in the act, including eight males and one female.
He said: “The command has a strong synergy with IBEDC. Our personnel went on a joint task force operation with the company, around Osogbo in search of those manipulating meters in the state.”
He warned that it is not going to be business as usual as the command is ready to put a stop to the act.
Agboola noted that energy theft, vandalism and other vices are major setbacks mitigating the development of the country.
He urged members of the public to be part of continuing efforts aimed at safeguarding critical national assets in their neighbourhood by reporting the activities of vandals and saboteurs to nearest NSCDC in their environment.
The commandant, who revealed that the suspects made confessional statements, said they will be prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction to serve as deterrent to others who are tampering with meters installed in their residences.
