By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has called for stronger collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to combat vandalism, energy theft and other economic crimes threatening the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s power sector.
Tegbe made the call on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when he led a delegation from the Ministry of Power on a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The minister said vandalism and energy theft had continued to inflict significant financial losses on the power sector, with the country losing billions of naira annually to criminal activities that undermine electricity infrastructure and revenue generation.
According to him, the Ministry of Power does not have the statutory authority to prosecute individuals and organisations involved in vandalism and energy theft, making collaboration with law enforcement agencies, particularly the EFCC, critical to addressing the problem.
Tegbe identified vandalism as one of the major challenges confronting the power sector, noting that criminals were increasingly targeting electricity infrastructure and other public assets for financial gain.
“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,” he said.
He explained that the activities of vandals were also affecting electricity transmission infrastructure, including power towers, thereby threatening the stability and reliability of electricity supply.
“The vandalisation is affecting our towers. The President has charged us to create awareness and also prosecute people, those stealing and buying, but we do not have the power to prosecute offenders. We can only report to you. They can be arrested and prosecuted. We believe the Commission can help us in that area. We need to collaborate,” the minister said.
Tegbe also raised concerns over the activities of electricity consumers, particularly companies, who allegedly have access to electricity but fail to pay their bills.
He described energy theft and non-payment of electricity bills as major sources of revenue leakage, stressing that the financial losses were depriving the sector of resources needed for infrastructure development and improved service delivery.
“The second area is energy theft. Companies that have access to power do not pay electricity bills. We are losing billions annually. We need your intervention,” he said.
The minister urged the EFCC to support the ministry in investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities whose activities constitute economic crimes and undermine the effective functioning of the electricity sector.
He said stronger enforcement would complement the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reform the power sector, improve electricity supply and protect critical national infrastructure.
Tegbe also commended the EFCC chairman for what he described as his achievements in the investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes, as well as the recovery of proceeds of crime.
He described Olukoyede’s approach as “bold and ambitious,” expressing optimism that greater cooperation between the ministry and the anti-graft agency would produce tangible results in protecting public assets and plugging financial leakages in the power sector.
The minister further expressed appreciation to the EFCC for its intervention in the legal dispute that had stalled the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant project in Kaduna State.
He said the resolution of challenges affecting critical power projects remained important to the Federal Government’s objective of expanding electricity generation and improving power supply across the country.
Responding, the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, described vandalism and energy theft as revenue fraud and major acts of economic sabotage that require concerted efforts by relevant government institutions.
Olukoyede assured the minister of the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Power in addressing the challenges.
He said the EFCC would also introduce stronger preventive mechanisms aimed at identifying and addressing fraud risks in power sector projects before public funds were lost.
“We are ready to work with you, particularly in the area of incorporating Fraud Risk Assessment and Control to all your projects; both the abandoned ones and the new ones coming up,” Olukoyede said.
He disclosed that the Commission would set up a team to analyse and audit selected power sector projects as part of efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and financial controls.
“We will set up a team to analyse and audit some of the projects,” he added.
The EFCC chairman also assured the ministry that the Commission would support the monitoring of ongoing projects, stressing that preventive measures were essential to safeguarding public funds.
According to him, government agencies should not wait until funds are stolen before taking action, particularly when dealing with sensitive and capital-intensive projects.
“We must not wait till monies are stolen, particularly on sensitive projects. It is not going to be business as usual,” Olukoyede declared.
The proposed collaboration between the Ministry of Power and the EFCC is expected to strengthen efforts to protect electricity infrastructure, reduce revenue losses and ensure that funds allocated to power projects are used for their intended purposes.
The partnership would also involve greater attention to fraud-risk assessment, project auditing and monitoring, while supporting the investigation and prosecution of suspected cases of vandalism, energy theft and other financial crimes within the sector.
The development comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address longstanding challenges in the electricity industry, including inadequate infrastructure, revenue shortfalls, power theft and damage to critical transmission and distribution assets.
Both officials expressed commitment to closer institutional cooperation, with the ultimate objective of protecting investments in the power sector, reducing economic losses and supporting the delivery of more reliable electricity to Nigerians.
