The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) yesterday said it has recorded 8,000 cases of energy theft, including meter bypass and illegal meter tampering, between January and October within its network.

Acting Managing Director Francis Agoha said this in a statement yesterday. Agoha said the development had resulted in financial losses running into hundreds of millions of naira.

He said because of the challenge they decided to partner the Special Investigative and Prosecution Task Force (SIPETO) to curb energy theft within its network.

According to him, IBEDC is committed to identifying, investigating and prosecuting individuals involved in energy theft. The MD said: “IBEDC has zero-tolerance for energy theft, highlighting the severe consequences for offenders.

“Also, energy theft is a significant challenge that impacts our ability to provide reliable service to our customers.

“We are, therefore, intensifying our efforts through partnerships like this to ensure that those who engage in such practices face the full force of the law.”

Agoha said the partnership with SIPETO to check energy theft would not only enhance its capacity to detect and prosecute offenders but also send a strong message that energy theft would not be tolerated.

According to him, energy theft undermines the integrity of the company’s operations and deprives it of the resources needed to improve service delivery.