NEWS
45% of Electricity Supplied to Plateau Lost to Theft, JED Raises Alarm
The Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED) has raised concerns over the growing rate of electricity theft in Plateau State, revealing that about 45 per cent of the energy supplied to the state is lost to illegal activities.
The Plateau State Chief Operating Officer of JED, Engr. Hamisu Wakili Jigawa, made the disclosure on Thursday during the company’s quarterly customer consultative forum in Jos.
Jigawa said the forum, organised in line with regulatory requirements, provides customers with an opportunity to engage directly with the company, present unresolved complaints and receive prompt resolutions.
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According to him, the initiative underscores JED’s commitment to strengthening customer relations and improving service delivery.
“This consultative forum is a regulatory requirement. It also gives customers who may not have access to our radio programmes or other communication channels the opportunity to present their complaints. Our technical, commercial and customer service teams are available to resolve issues immediately or shortly after the meeting,” he said.
Describing electricity theft as one of the biggest challenges confronting the company, Jigawa warned that the level of energy losses threatens the sustainability of electricity supply in Plateau State.
“The issue of energy theft has become a serious challenge for us. In Plateau alone, about 45 per cent of our energy is lost to theft. No business can survive with such a high level of losses,” he said.
To combat the problem, he said JED had introduced a whistleblower initiative known as PowerWatch, which encourages members of the public to report electricity theft, meter bypass, vandalism and other illegal activities affecting the company’s operations.
Under the initiative, members of the public whose reports lead to the detection of electricity theft or tampering with company installations will receive rewards.
Jigawa added that the whistleblower policy also covers cases of staff misconduct and urged customers to report unethical behaviour through the company’s telephone lines, email addresses and social media platforms.
He also disclosed that JED is collaborating with relevant authorities to strengthen the prosecution of electricity offenders, stressing that effective enforcement is critical to improving electricity supply.
“If we cannot recover payment for the energy supplied, there is no way the electricity market will continue to provide power that is not being paid for.
Ultimately, energy allocation to Plateau may reduce, affecting the 20 to 24 hours of electricity supply currently enjoyed in many parts of the state,” he warned.
Despite the challenge, Jigawa said Plateau remains one of JED’s best-performing franchise areas, with about 70 per cent of customers in Jos receiving more than 20 hours of electricity daily.
He added that the company plans to upgrade more feeders to Band A to enable additional communities benefit from improved electricity supply.
Also speaking, JED’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim, announced that the company would distribute 109,000 free electricity meters to customers across Plateau, Bauchi, Benue and Gombe states under the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).
He explained that the meters would be shared among customers in the company’s four franchise states and not exclusively for Plateau.
According to Ibrahim, JED has already distributed more than 20,000 free meters under an earlier Federal Government-backed metering programme, while customers also have the option of obtaining meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.
He clarified that unlike the MAP scheme, where customers initially pay for meters and are later reimbursed through energy credits approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), meters distributed under DISREP and other government-backed initiatives are completely free.
He warned customers not to pay anyone for meters under the free metering programmes and advised anyone demanding payment to be reported to the nearest JED office or law enforcement agencies.
Ibrahim said Band A customers were being prioritised under the DISREP programme because they receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity supply daily and pay cost-reflective tariffs.
Addressing complaints about outstanding debts appearing on newly installed prepaid meters, he explained that unpaid bills from the previous post-paid billing system are automatically transferred to the new meters.
He added that JED has introduced flexible repayment arrangements, allowing customers to offset outstanding debts in instalments through electricity vending.
According to him, customers owing less than ₦1 million can repay from as little as ₦2,000 monthly, while those with higher debts are placed on structured repayment plans.
Ibrahim said the consultative forum was organised to provide customers with a platform to lodge complaints, make suggestions and engage directly with the company’s management on ways to improve electricity service delivery.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Jos, Plateau State, alongside his wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in the state.
The visit is part of the Tinubu–Shettima campaign’s engagements as the ruling party seeks to secure support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The campaign’s visit to Plateau is expected to highlight the Federal Government’s infrastructure and economic development projects in the state, particularly those aimed at improving road connectivity, boosting commerce and supporting agricultural activities.
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Among the projects highlighted by the administration is the ongoing 125-kilometre Akwanga–Jos highway, which forms part of the Akwanga–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri Superhighway.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the Sharram–Garram–Babban Lamba Road in Kanke and the approved Mararaban Jama’a–Kanke–Langtang–Shendam–Ibi Road, which is expected to improve connectivity between Plateau and Taraba states.
The administration says the projects are part of its broader development agenda to connect communities, facilitate access to markets and provide farmers and businesses with improved infrastructure.
The APC campaign is expected to use the rally to present the administration’s achievements and future plans while seeking the confidence of Plateau residents to continue its development agenda beyond 2027.
The Ogun State Police Command has presented cheques totalling ₦10.65 million to families and next-of-kin of deceased police officers who served under the command, as part of efforts to support dependants of personnel who died in active service.
The cheques, amounting to ₦10,658,391.36, were presented on Saturday, November 14, 2026, by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, anipr, and dated November 14, 2026.
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The presentation took place at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, under the Nigeria Police Force Group Life Assurance and the IGP Family Welfare Schemes.
The initiatives are designed to provide financial assistance to families of police officers who lost their lives while serving the country.
Accompanied by members of the Command Management Team, Ojajuni personally handed over the cheques to the beneficiaries.
Addressing the recipients, the police commissioner reaffirmed the Inspector-General’s commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.
He described the widows and families of the deceased officers as the “true superheroes”, acknowledging their resilience in coping with the loss of their loved ones who died in service to the nation.
Ojajuni noted that the financial intervention was a demonstration of the Force’s appreciation and institutional responsibility to support the families of fallen officers.
He said the initiative represented the Nigeria Police Force’s enduring commitment to standing by the dependants of personnel who paid the ultimate price in active service.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ejembi Ada Veronica thanked the Inspector-General of Police and the Ogun State Police Command for remembering their families and providing financial assistance.
She assured the authorities that the money would be channelled towards the education, upkeep and general welfare of the children and dependants left behind by the deceased officers.
According to her, the intervention would provide timely relief and help improve the stability of the affected families.
The Ogun State Police Command reiterated its commitment to supporting the families of fallen officers, assuring them of its continued solidarity.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has screened 28 oil and gas wells around reported gas seepage locations in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, identifying three as high-risk, as investigations continue to establish the source of the bubbling gas.
The Commission disclosed that its investigation team physically visited 14 of the 28 wells screened but could not access three others because they were submerged. During the visits, the team observed gas hissing from some wells, while some facilities were found to be corroded and others vandalised.
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The update was made on Thursday during a special technical paper presentation at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
The paper, titled “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” was hosted by the NUPRC.
In his presentation, the Director of Subsurface Development at the NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, FNSE, described gas seepage as a new phenomenon in the Nigerian petroleum industry, prompting the Commission to constitute a team to investigate what lies beneath the bubbles.
Ogunsola was represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Mr. Azibamikiomam John-Adumo, a geologist.
He disclosed that studies conducted in one of the affected areas had helped unravel the structural threat associated with the phenomenon.
According to him, one of the wells was originally drilled in search of oil but was shut down following the discovery of gas instead.
He explained that the well is approximately 2.5 kilometres from the seepage location, adding that investigations are ongoing to establish whether the seepage originates from that particular well or other nearby wells.
He further disclosed that the distance between the seepage location and other wells ranges from 2.5 to three kilometres, noting that the area is highly explored and hydrocarbon-charged, as demonstrated by the number of wells in the vicinity.
Providing an update on the wells workstream, which falls under the facility and infrastructure component of the investigation, John-Adumo said the 28 wells were screened based on their proximity to the seepage locations and the reservoirs traversed during drilling.
He also explained that the investigation had progressed from the first reported bubble to an independent fingerprinting campaign within 12 months.
Recalling that the first seepage was observed in October 2025, he said the results of the independent investigation, using Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and compositional field analysis, were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
While investigations continue, John-Adumo said the Commission and operators had mobilised relief materials and other support for affected communities.
The interventions include food supplies, medical outreach, efforts to provide potable water, fire vans and safety kits, among other assistance.
He, however, warned that if the seepage is established to be a natural geological phenomenon, residents may need to be evacuated because tracing the migration pathways and designing subsurface interventions could be much more challenging.
He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to a speedy, coordinated and integrated investigation to establish the source of the gas seepage.
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