Okeke's modus operandi involved replacing original meter sensors with fake ones, enabling him to bypass the meters and prevent them from accurately recording customers' consumption.
Lawrence Okeke, a former employee of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC), was apprehended in Onitsha, Anambra State, for tampering with prepaid meters belonging to EEDC customers.
Okeke's modus operandi involved replacing original meter sensors with fake ones, enabling him to bypass the meters and prevent them from accurately recording customers' consumption.
The illegal activity resulted in significant revenue loss for the distribution company.
According to Mr. Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, in a statement on Thursday, the company's Meter Monitoring Team discovered the fraud during a routine inspection, following a tip-off 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 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 that performed the bypass as Lawrence Okeke, who happens 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.
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.
“It is believed that by the time the investigation is concluded, a lot of atrocities already perpetrated by the likes of Lawrence in our network, will be unraveled”.
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.
He also advised the customers against the activities of some ex-staff of EEDC who still parade the network as though they are still working for the company, while they are busy extorting unsuspecting customers and carrying out criminal and illegal activities that undermine the organization’s efforts in providing quality services to its esteemed customers.
“Customers should always be mindful of who they are engaging as staff of EEDC and be sure of their identity, as a lot of people out there carrying out illegalities, parading as staff of EEDC are not in its employ”, Ezeh warned.
While commending the whistle blower for giving the information that led to the arrest of Lawrence, Ezeh further urged customers to feel free to report any suspected case of meter bypass and energy theft through the company’s whistle blowing platforms.