Power Minister and Heads of Agencies Advocate for Capital Punishment in Energy Industry

In a meeting with old and new Heads of Power Agencies in Nigeria, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, expressed his concern over the increasing incidents of power equipment vandalisation and power theft in the country.

The Minister recommended capital punishment for any offender arrested in connection with these practices.

Adelabu emphasized that some Nigerians fail to understand that power equipment is costly to procure and install, and the act of vandalism would no longer be tolerated.

He stressed that the Ministry has secured an understanding with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other Security Agencies to ensure that all its installations are safe and secure, and he urged Nigerians to do the same.

The Heads of Power Agencies at the meeting assured the Minister of their support for improved power generation and distribution in Nigeria.

They acknowledged that within a short period, the issue of epileptic power supply would be resolved.

Vandalism of electricity infrastructure in Nigeria has been a significant issue, with multiple incidents reported.

Vandals destroyed over 100 electricity transmission towers across various regions like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Benin, targeting both 132kV and 330kV double circuit power transmission lines.

In another development, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported that electricity has been restored to Kano one day after a fire broke out at the Dan Agundi Substation, disrupting power supply to some parts of the city.

The affected transformers were isolated, and cables were reconfigured to reinstate power to three feeders for Kano Distribution Company customers.

These incidents underscore the urgent need for enhanced security and preventive measures to safeguard Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure.

The Minister and Heads of Power Agencies are determined to address these challenges and improve the energy industry in Nigeria.