IKEDC, Ikosi-Ejinrin Unite to Tackle Epe Electricity Sabotage
Atume Terfa
The Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has launched a decisive crackdown on the rising sabotage of electricity infrastructure in the Epe Division, following a strategic security meeting convened by its Executive Chairman, Otunba-Akogun Wale Raji Anomo, on Monday, December 1, 2025.
At the emergency session, senior security officials from the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) — led by Chief Security Officer Mr. Asaju Babatunde and Physical Security Manager Mr. Paul Airoboman — joined top council executives including Vice-Chairman Alhaji Wasiu Oluwole Dehinsilu, Leader of the House Hon. Hassan Mustapha Owolabi, and Chief of Staff Hon. Jayesimi Ibraheem Abiodun to address what has become a coordinated and disruptive assault on Epe’s power supply.
Anomo expressed grave concern over the systematic destruction of power cables and infrastructure, warning that the attacks have gone beyond random vandalism and now appear engineered to cripple socio-economic activities across the Epe Federal Constituency. He emphasized that the Council has stepped up surveillance efforts and intensified collaboration with the Joint Security Taskforce — but insisted that a united front with IKEDC is crucial to neutralising the threat.
In a blunt assessment, IKEDC’s CSO Mr. Babatunde revealed that recent incidents point to deliberate sabotage rather than theft, with perpetrators intentionally creating technical faults and cutting cables without attempting to steal them. This pattern, he noted, signals a coordinated attempt to destabilise electricity supply, requiring deepened intelligence and stakeholder cooperation to expose the underlying motives.
He further disclosed that weak penalties at magistrate courts previously encouraged repeat offenders. However, under the new Electricity Act, sabotage of power infrastructure now attracts up to 15 years imprisonment, with cases escalated to the High Court — a critical development expected to strengthen deterrence and enforcement.
The meeting closed with the adoption of a robust security framework, including enhanced monitoring of installations, strengthened community intelligence networks, and unified action across all councils within the Epe Division. Anomo confirmed strong alignment with Epe Local Government and Eredo LCDA to ensure that the strategy is deployed comprehensively.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment, the Executive Chairman vowed to safeguard public infrastructure, restore stable electricity to affected communities, and ensure that those behind the sabotage face the full force of the law.
