A senior advocate of Nigeria based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mr. Lucius Nwosu, is alleged to have been involved in energy theft
The theft resulted from the activities of a company called Oxygen Holiday Resort located at Akpajo by Eleme junction in Port Harcourt.
It was learnt that the resort owned and managed by Nwosu had allegedly by-passed its prepaid meter to connect directly to the power source, thereby consuming energy at no cost.
It was further gathered that the illegal act was uncovered during a routine revenue drive by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc in October 2020, which took the company’s officials to the vicinity of the resort.
In the course of the investigation, the PHEDC discovered that revenue lost to the alleged energy theft was colossal, spanning over 30 months.
Further discovery revealed that aside from owning and managing the resort, the prepaid meter in question was also registered in the name of the senior lawyer.
Consequently, the PHED, in compliance with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Order/Regulations on Unauthorized Access, Meter Tampering and bypass, 2017 made pursuant to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, disconnected power to the Resort and placed a penalty of N6.7 million on the account before reconnection could be made.
PHED had slammed a demand of N6.5 million charge on Nwosu.
However, Nwosu instituted a case at Nchia High Court near Port Harcourt, demanding N110 million as loss of revenue since the electricity distribution company disconnected its facilities.
While the matter was still pending, he filed another suit marked NMC/73/2020 at Eleme Magistrate’s Court in 2020 where an injunction to reconnect Oxygen Holiday Resort in Akpajo, was granted to be effected within seven days.
Some other suits filed in connection with the case include Suit Nos: NHC/65/CS/2020, Oxygen Holiday Resort Ltd vs Canice Emeka Obi; NHC/64/CS/2020, Oxygen Holiday Resort Ltd vs Mr. Ekom Udoumoh; NHC/63/CS/2020, Oxygen Holiday Resort Ltd vs Mr. Moses Achi; and PHC/113/CS/2021 Oxygen Holiday Resort Ltd vs Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc & 2Ors.
