The Ondo State Government on Monday said it had created a special offences court to prosecute electricity thieves or anybody who commits power-related offences across the state.
The state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Johnson Alabi, disclosed this in his office in Akure, the state capital on Monday..
Alabi explained that the court was created by the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to fast-track cases relating to illegal connections, meter bypassing, vandalism, and other violations of the state’s electricity laws.
According to him, the new court signalled a zero-tolerance approach to electricity theft, warning to desist from electricity crime as the culprit would face immediate prosecution.
He said, “The special offences court is meant to prosecute electricity offenders across the state. It began operations about a week ago and was established by the Chief Judge of Ondo State.
”We want to appeal to residents and inform them that electricity theft is a criminal offence. Anyone who violates the Ondo State power sector law will be prosecuted.”
Alabi further revealed that, to avoid electricity crimes, the state government had procured 50,000 smart meters, which were ready for distribution to residents, noting that smart metering and strict enforcement must go hand-in-hand to build a reliable electricity distribution system.
