Electricity consumers who are caught indulging in sharp practices and assaults on staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company PLC now risk jail terms ranging from three to five years imprisonment as prescribed in the 2O23 Electricity Act recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

While the new law prescribes three years jail term for those found culpable of assaulting IBEDC staff, those caught involved in energy theft risk five years imprisonment, the IBEDC PLC management has warned.

The warning was handed down by the management of IBEDC on Wednesday while engaging stakeholders at a forum in Jebba service hub, Kwara state, where it said consumers were currently owing the company a whopping sum of N25.8 billion of unpaid bills.

Handing down the warning during an interactive session with consumers in Jebba, IBEDC’s Lead Media Relations, Olori Busolami Tunwase, and the company’s security officer warned that the new electricity act will no longer tolerate cases of assault and battery on their staff.

Tunwase urged anyone or the community who has issues with IBEDC services or its staff to explore legal means by taking their complaints to appropriate channels for amicable resolution rather than descending on them.

She said the era when electricity consumers see IBEDC as social services provider was over, stressing that they have to pay for electricity consumed.

Participants at the forum including representatives of traditional rulers, requested debt cancellation.

The engagement is to continue in Mokwa, Niger state on Thursday.