IBEDC confirms N50m monthly loss to vandals

July 5, 2022

John Ayodele, COO, IBEDC

Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company has confirmed a monthly loss of N50m to electricity cable theft.

Attributing the monthly loss to the activities of the vandals, the Chief Operating Officer, John Ayodele said the theft is responsible for the darkness experienced in some areas which include the Government House, Arapaja/Aba-Ibeji area in Oluyole local government area and other areas in Ibadan metropolis

Ayodele stated that suspected vandals operating in the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps uniforms.

The DisCo said such acts had been occurring frequently within its area of coverage and the activities of vandals were beginning to cripple power distribution to its customers.

He said: “On the 29th of June, at night, unknown civilians and armed men clad in police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps uniforms, carted away IBEDC 33kV underground cables at Mokola Roundabout in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“The stolen cables feed Agodi Injection Substation where Government House, the State Secretariat, Agodi, and majority of Bodija area and thousands of other urban customers, are serviced.

“This means the economic power and livelihood of these people have been grossly disrupted, as we are incapacitated by the stolen cables to meet the supply-demand. This is just one of the various instances of the nefarious activities of vandals within our franchise.

“IBEDC loses over Fifty Million Naira every month to vandals through stolen cables, damaged transformers, and other network infrastructure”, he added.

He also appealed to the IBEDC customers to jealously guard electrical installations within their environments to avoid being plunged into unexpected darkness, as the company could not afford to replace any vandalised installations for now.

“We implore all residents and customers to report any act suspected to be vandalism to the nearest police station, Civil Defence and the Department of State Service. The IBEDC does not operate late nights and all activities that occur after 8:00 pm should be suspected and reported accordingly,” he said.

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