Lawrence Okeke, a former employee of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC), has been arrested for tampering with and bypassing prepaid meters for EEDC customers
Arrested in Onitsha, Anambra state, Okeke specialised in replacing original meter sensors with fake ones, causing meters to underreport customer consumption, thus affecting EEDC’s revenue.
Emeka Ezeh, head of corporate communications at EEDC, disclosed this on Thursday, July 11, in Enugu.
He explained that the company’s Meter Monitoring Team was deployed to various locations after receiving a report from a whistleblower.
“At one of the customer’s premises visited at Bida Road, Onitsha, they discovered that the meter was bypassed, and the original meter sensor was removed and replaced with the fake one.
“While the team interrogated the customer who already admitted their findings, the customer gave out the identity and contact of the individual who performed the bypass as Lawrence Okeke, who happened to be an ex-staff of EEDC.
“Immediately, Lawrence was tracked and arrested, and handed over to the Central Police Station, Onitsha, where he is currently assisting the police in their investigation”, Ezeh said.
According to Ezeh, Lawrence Okeke who hails from Adogba Village in Awgu local government area, Enugu State, was disengaged from EEDC in December 2020 for gross misconduct.
“The apprehension of the suspect by the team is a great breakthrough in the organization’s fight against meter bypass and energy theft”, Ezeh said.
Ezeh cautioned customers who engage in meter bypass to desist from such as the company has stepped up its prepaid meter monitoring activities and anyone caught will be made to face the music.
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