By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Acting Managing Director of Kogi Electricity Distribution Limited (KEDL), Engr. Olaseni Agunpopo, has disclosed that the company recorded losses amounting to ₦5 billion in the first half of 2025.
He explained that the loss comprised ₦1.3 billion from energy theft and ₦3.6 billion from electricity collection shortfalls due to consumers underpaying their bills.
Engr. Agunpopo made the disclosure during a town hall meeting with consumers, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders organized by KEDL in Lokoja. He described the situation as a major threat to power supply and sustainability in the state.
According to him, the losses were largely due to meter bypassing, tampering, and illegal connections by some consumers, resulting in huge financial setbacks and operational challenges.
“This menace has continued to undermine our efforts toward ensuring reliable and sustainable electricity supply. It leads to revenue losses, destruction of vital infrastructure, risks to human life, and places an unfair burden on our honest and law-abiding customers,” he said.
He commended the Kogi State Government and the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for establishing a Special Task Force on Energy Theft and Related Offences, describing it as a bold and commendable step toward sanitizing the electricity sector.
“This initiative underscores the Commission’s unwavering commitment to promoting transparency and safeguarding the integrity of power distribution across the state,” Agunpopo noted.
He added that the Task Force will serve as a coordinated mechanism to identify, investigate, and prosecute cases of energy theft and related offences, in collaboration with security agencies, the judiciary, and other key stakeholders.
“This decisive move not only reflects the Commission’s desire to protect investments made by KEDL but also reinforces its commitment to ensuring that law-abiding customers are not unfairly penalized by the actions of a few who engage in theft and sabotage,” he added.
The Acting Managing Director emphasized that the main objective of the initiative is to protect honest customers, promote fairness and accountability in electricity usage, and improve service delivery by channeling saved resources into infrastructure development and customer satisfaction.
He called for collective support from all stakeholders — government, communities, traditional institutions, security agencies, and citizens — to ensure the success of the initiative.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Engr. Ibrahim S. Abdwaaris, said the new legal framework established by the state government to curb electricity theft and protect the power supply system could not have come at a better time.
