Minister: Capital punishment needed to stop attacks on power infrastructure

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has proposed the imposition of capital punishment for vandals and thieves targeting power infrastructure. 

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, he emphasized that the frequent vandalism of power infrastructure is a pressing issue within the sector.

He said, “The ministry of power and agencies under it is pushing for capital punishment for those involved in vandalisation and power thefts of all forms.

“Capital punishment is not too much because they are gradually killing the nation. They are killing the economy. They are killing the people.

“Vandals are getting too much comfort all over transmission and distribution power assets.

“This is not only frustrating our efforts to achieve uninterrupted power supply; it is driving the nation backwards,” he said.

Mr Adelabu said that Nigerians must realize that these assets belong to them, so they must jealously protect them, adding that it was the taxpayers’ money that was used to acquire them.

He said the ministry of power was collaborating with the office of the National Security Adviser and security agencies to protect them as it costs a lot of money to replace them when damaged.

The minister said that the ministry was also collaborating with states to have their protection framework to protect the infrastructure.

According to him, the federal government is also trying to provide at least two million meters annually.

“So that in four to five years, the huge meter gap will disappear or significantly reduce.

He said that there was already a presidential metering initiative that I was working on.