Ossiomo Power Company has accused the Edo State Police Command of double standards in handling cases involving the alleged theft and vandalism of its electricity infrastructure, claiming that more than ₦100 million worth of equipment has been stolen from its facilities in Ologbo between September 2025 and September 2026.
The company alleged that while repeated reports of vandalism and theft of its expensive equipment had received little attention from the police, officers moved swiftly to arrest and detain a mobile policeman who shot and injured an alleged intruder attempting to steal cables from its facility.
In a statement issued in Benin City, the company expressed concern over what it described as the police command’s failure to investigate reported cases of theft and vandalism, warning that the alleged inaction was emboldening criminals targeting its power infrastructure.
Ossiomo said it had reported several incidents involving the destruction, vandalism and theft of its electricity equipment without seeing meaningful action against the alleged perpetrators.
One such incident occurred in November 2025, when the company reported the vandalism of its 33-kilovolt lines, involving three lengths of 15-metre, 185mm XLPE cables, to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Benin City.
According to the company, no meaningful action had been taken on the complaint as of the time of the statement.
The company also accused some staff members of CCETC and individuals it described as their alleged accomplices of vandalising and removing its cables and conductors in broad daylight on September 23, 2026.
Those named in the statement included Success Osagie and Alao Kayode, whom the company identified as CCETC staff members, as well as Felix Okotie, Friday Ehis, Julius Pama and Ayo Imafidon, whom it alleged were involved in the incident.
Ossiomo further claimed that other unidentified individuals participated in the alleged vandalism and theft.
The company said some of the missing electrical equipment were subsequently recovered at the premises of the Ologbo Division of the Edo State Police Command.
According to the statement, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Gideon Azuwonu, later released the recovered items to the company after its staff discovered them at the police facility.
Three trucks were reportedly used to transport the recovered armoured cables and conductors back to Ossiomo’s premises.
However, the company alleged that no one was arrested or questioned in connection with the incident, despite what it described as available evidence.
The allegations against the named individuals have not been independently verified, and their responses were not included in the statement.
The company said the situation took another turn last Wednesday night when armed intruders allegedly forced their way into its IPP2 power plant and attempted to remove cables.
According to the statement, a mobile policeman on guard duty shot and injured one of the alleged intruders in the leg while attempting to stop the theft.
Ossiomo claimed that, rather than focusing on the attempted theft, the police arrested the officer involved in the shooting and detained him at the Criminal Investigation Department of the state police headquarters.
The company described the arrest and detention as unfair, arguing that the officer had been performing his security duties when the incident occurred.
It accused the command of failing to respond adequately to attacks on its facilities while taking decisive action against a security operative who intervened during an alleged theft.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether the officer acted within the applicable rules governing the use of firearms, were not independently established in the statement.
Ossiomo further alleged that three suspected vandals returned to its IPP2 facility on the morning of Thursday, October 29, 2026, and attempted to remove sensitive electrical equipment.
The company said its security personnel apprehended the suspects and took them to the Ologbo Police Division for questioning.
However, it claimed that the police declined to take custody of the suspects because one of them had injuries requiring medical attention.
According to the company, police officers insisted that the injured suspect receive treatment before the matter could be handled.
Ossiomo said its officials subsequently took the suspects to a hospital in Ologbo for medical attention.
The company further alleged that the DPO later directed its staff to return the injured suspect to the hospital for further treatment, insisting that he was not fit to be taken into police custody.
It also claimed that the DPO asked its staff to make private arrangements to monitor the suspect at the hospital to prevent him from escaping.
Ossiomo said its appeals for the police to deploy an officer to keep watch over the suspect were unsuccessful.
The company argued that the alleged handling of the incident raised serious concerns about the command’s response to repeated attacks on its facilities.
The power company called on the Edo State Police Command to investigate the reported incidents, take appropriate action against anyone found culpable and provide adequate protection for its facilities.
It warned that continued theft and vandalism could threaten its operations and undermine efforts to protect critical electricity infrastructure.
Ossiomo maintained that law enforcement authorities should investigate reported crimes impartially, regardless of the parties involved, and urged the command to demonstrate greater commitment to addressing the alleged attacks.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Edo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Eno Okoedem, were unsuccessful, as she did not answer calls to her telephone.
The police command’s response to the allegations was not available as of press time.
