Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to intensify efforts to combat energy theft and the vandalism of critical power infrastructure, describing the crimes as major obstacles to achieving a stable electricity supply across the country.
The minister made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where both parties agreed to strengthen collaboration to protect Nigeria’s power infrastructure and improve energy security.
According to a statement issued by the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday, discussions focused on the urgent need to safeguard electricity assets from criminals whose activities continue to undermine the nation’s power sector.
Tegbe noted that widespread energy theft, alongside the destruction of transmission and distribution infrastructure, has remained a significant challenge affecting the reliability of electricity supply nationwide.
The minister was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Power, including the Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Mamman; the Director of Distribution, Engr. Mustapha Baba-Umara; the Director of Energy Resources, Engr. Kingsley Eneh; and the Special Assistant to the Minister, Martins Olajide.
During the meeting, Tegbe requested sustained tactical support from the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen surveillance around critical electricity infrastructure, protect national power assets, and ensure the arrest and prosecution of individuals involved in energy theft and vandalism.
In response, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s power infrastructure and tackling crimes within the electricity sector.
He assured the Minister that the Nigeria Police Force remains fully prepared to protect critical national infrastructure, enhance energy security, and bring perpetrators of power sector crimes to justice.
Energy theft and the vandalism of electricity infrastructure, including power lines, transformers and other essential facilities, continue to cost Nigeria’s power sector billions of naira annually. The persistent attacks have also contributed to recurring disruptions to the national grid and unreliable electricity supply across the country.
The renewed partnership between the Ministry of Power and the Nigeria Police Force is expected to strengthen efforts to curb these criminal activities and improve the protection of strategic power installations nationwide.