Published: September 30, 2025
KAKATA, Margibi County – An array of armed police officers and staff of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Power Theft Task Force stormed Kakata over the weekend, arrested at least 26 people suspected of illegally connecting to the national power grid.
The operation, which surprised many residents, targeted both homes and businesses allegedly involved in power theft. Those arrested were transported to Paynesville for investigation and could face fines or prosecution in court.
Christopher Gibson, a general supervisor of the task force, told reporters that all suspects will be subjected to due process. “We came after receiving Intel (intelligence) from some of our prestigious customers who use meters and pay while others are not, yet benefiting from the current. We came to do a clean-up,” Gibson said.
He explained that some of the arrested individuals were legally connected but caught distributing electricity to third party users without authorization. Gibson warned that anyone found guilty would be fined, and failure to pay could result in prosecution and possible jail terms.
Meanwhile, some of those linked to the arrests shifted blame to LEC, accusing the corporation of failing to replace damaged or stolen meters despite repeated reports. Others alleged that local LEC staff in Margibi were themselves engaged in setting up illegal “direct” connections, enabling some residents to bypass the system.
The crackdown comes as LEC intensifies its campaign to curb widespread power theft, which the corporation says undermines its operations and hampers reliable electricity supply in Liberia.
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