Ondo Prepaid Meter Arson case under investigation as police vow to prosecute culprits behind ₦10 million warehouse fire in Okitipupa

Ondo Prepaid Meter Arsonincident has triggered a full police investigation after a warehouse in Okitipupa containing prepaid electricity meters valued at over ₦10 million was destroyed by fire.

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The Police Command in Ondo State confirmed on Thursday that detectives have begun probing what it described as a deliberate arson attack on the facility, which belonged to one of the state’s accredited Meter Asset Providers.

Command spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the attack was a “grievous offence” and that those responsible would face the full weight of the law.

“We have launched an investigation into the arson incident on the prepaid meter warehouse. The public should rest assured that the culprits will face the law after the conclusion of our investigation,” Ayanlade said.

The warehouse, owned by Active Achievers Nigeria Limited, is located on Barracks Road in Okitipupa and stored over 100 prepaid meters under the state-backed O’Datiwa Metering Scheme. The initiative, launched by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, seeks to eliminate estimated billing for energy consumers across Ondo State.

The company’s Managing Director, Henry Akinbola-Oyinbo, expressed deep concern over the incident, calling it a deliberate act aimed at sabotaging progress.

“We were informed early in the morning that a raging fire was consuming our warehouse. Our prepaid meters are not inflammable; this could only have been a deliberate act,” he told journalists.

He lamented the attack’s potential impact on the O’Datiwa Metering Scheme, describing it as “an attempt by agents of darkness to frustrate the governor’s commendable initiative.”

Akinbola-Oyinbo urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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The Ondo Prepaid Meter Arson case has since raised concerns about potential sabotage against reform initiatives in the state’s power distribution system, as authorities intensify efforts to protect public and private energy assets.