The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has sought stronger collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force to curb the vandalism of electricity infrastructure, proposing the establishment of a joint task force to safeguard critical power assets across the country.
Tegbe made the call on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The minister, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary and other members of the ministry’s management team, said protecting power infrastructure is critical to the success of ongoing reforms in the electricity sector.
He commended the performance of the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of IGP Disu, particularly in strengthening security across the country.
Tegbe described the vandalism of power infrastructure as one of the major threats confronting the sector and called for intensified surveillance of critical installations as well as sustained collaboration between the Ministry of Power and the Police.
Responding, the Inspector-General of Police thanked the minister for the visit and reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to protecting critical national infrastructure, including power assets.
Disu assured the minister of the Police Force’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with the ministry, noting that electricity infrastructure and personnel remain vulnerable to attacks and require enhanced security.
He also expressed support for the establishment of a joint task force dedicated to the protection of power infrastructure and pledged that the police would continue to arrest and prosecute vandals and other offenders involved in power sector-related crimes.
The meeting, according to the ministry, forms part of efforts to strengthen inter-agency collaboration aimed at improving the reliability of Nigeria’s electricity supply in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.