Justice Ministry Charges Judges to support Fight Against Electricity Offences
POLITICS DIGEST – The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Barrister Muhammad Umar Etsu has called on High Court Judges, State Attorneys General and Magistrates across the Country to support the current campaign aimed at weeding the nation’s electricity industry of miscreants and vandals.
The DPP made the charge in Kaduna today while inaugurating the Special Investigation and prosecution Taskforce on Electricity Offences, SIPTEO, for Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.
Barrister Etsu, who was represented by the Deputy Director in the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Federal Ministry of Justice, Barrister Mamuda Suleiman, lamented that electricity theft and other related offences have remained unchecked for too long and this has brought serious set backs to the nations economic development.
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“I will like to crave the indulgence of all partners in the fight against electricity offences especially the Kaduna State judiciary through the intervention of the Honourable Chief Judge and Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Kaduna State and most especially the Magistrates, where bulk of the cases would be decided, to ensure that justice and rule of law principles are upheld from time to time”, he said.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Judge of Kaduna State, Honourable Justice Muhammad Lawal Bello who was represented by a Deputy Chief Registrar in the State High Court, Bar Murtala J. Zubairu, called on members of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Taskforce on Electricity Offences ”to always operate within the ambit of the law, promising that ”the Judiciary will be fair and firm in all cases brought before it”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director/CEO of Kaduna Electric, Engr Garba Haruna, disclosed that distribution companies all over the country have suffered collosal loses in revenue and valuable materials to vandalism and energy theft perpetrated by few unpatriotic elements on our midst.
Engr. Garba Haruna who was also represented by the Chief, Engineering and Technical Services of the Company, Engr. Bello Musa, assured that Kaduna Electric will collaborate with all law enforcement institutions to rid the electricity industry of the activities of these unscrupulous elements so that the valuable customers of the Company will enjoy steady and qualitative electricity services.
High point of the event was the commissioning of three new Hilux operational vehicles for the use of the Taskforce by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, A. Onah who represented the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command.
