The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has arraigned six residents of Lagos before a magistrates’ court over alleged electricity theft and conspiracy.
The suspects were brought before Magistrate T. M. Kassim Adeyelure at Court 6 of the Eti-Osa Magisterial District on charges bordering on illegal power abstraction and diversion.
The defendants, Abiodun Aremu, 40; Okwori Joseph, 40; Ebi Veronica, 28; Vanella Macaulay, 25; Loritta Etim, 27; and Oyindamola Adekunle, 31, were arrested during a raid carried out on February 7, 2026.
The operation took place at No. 11, Mayowa Hassan Street, Marshy-Hill Estate, Okeira Nla, Ajah, in Lagos, where they were allegedly found to have bypassed the company’s metering system.
According to the charge sheet, the six defendants are facing a two-count charge.
The first count accused them of conspiring to commit a felony, specifically the appropriation of electricity, contrary to Section 411 and punishable under Section 412 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The second count alleged that the defendants fraudulently abstracted and diverted electricity supplied by EKEDC for personal use, an offence punishable under Section 295(1) of the same law.
The prosecution maintained that such illegal connections result in significant financial losses for the distribution company and pose risks to the safety and stability of the electricity network within the Ajah axis.
Reacting to the arraignment, the General Manager of Corporate Communications at EKEDC, Babatunde Lasaki, said electricity theft undermines infrastructure and affects paying customers.
“When people abstract power illegally, they overload our transformers and compromise the voltage quality for those who are paying diligently. This legal action is necessary not just to recover revenue but to protect the integrity of our infrastructure,” he said.
The company reiterated its commitment to prosecuting offenders and safeguarding electricity assets across its coverage areas, warning that continued illegal connections could destabilise power supply and endanger lives.
