The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has called for the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle vandalism and energy theft in the power sector.
Tegbe made the call on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when he led a delegation from the Ministry on a courtesy visit to the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The minister said vandalism and energy theft were taking a heavy toll on the sector, resulting in the loss of billions of naira annually.
According to him, the Ministry lacks the statutory powers to prosecute offenders, making collaboration with the EFCC necessary.
“There are two areas where we need your intervention. One area is vandalism. There is a lot of vandalism going on in this country. People are stealing manhole covers and other valuables. The vandalisation is affecting our towers,” Tegbe said.
He said the President had directed the Ministry to create awareness and prosecute those involved in vandalism, including those stealing and purchasing stolen infrastructure, but noted that the Ministry could only report offenders to the appropriate authorities.
“We believe the Commission can help us in that area. We need to collaborate,” he said.
On energy theft, Tegbe said some companies with access to electricity were failing to pay their bills, costing the sector billions of naira annually.
“We are losing billions annually. We need your intervention,” he added.
The minister commended Olukoyede for his achievements in investigating and prosecuting economic and financial crimes, as well as recovering proceeds of crime, describing the EFCC’s approach as “bold and ambitious.”
He expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between both institutions would help curb criminal activities undermining the power sector and support efforts to improve electricity supply.
Tegbe also thanked the EFCC for intervening in the legal dispute that stalled the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant project in Kaduna State.
Responding, Olukoyede described vandalism and energy theft as revenue fraud and major acts of economic sabotage, pledging the Commission’s support for the Ministry.
He said the EFCC would collaborate with the Ministry by introducing Fraud Risk Assessment and Control mechanisms for its projects.
“We are ready to work with you, particularly in the area of incorporating Fraud Risk Assessment and Control into all your projects, both the abandoned ones and the new ones coming up. We will set up a team to analyse and audit some of the projects,” Olukoyede said.
He further assured the Ministry that the EFCC would monitor ongoing projects to prevent fraud, stressing that the Commission would not wait until funds were stolen before taking action.
“We must not wait till monies are stolen, particularly on sensitive projects. It is not going to be business as usual,” he said.