Abdul Abubakari Sadiq, 28, Sentenced for Damaging and Stealing GWL Water Meter.
Abdul Abubakari Sadiq, a 28-year-old Nigerian national, has been arrested, convicted, and sentenced by the Weija Circuit Court for stealing a water meter belonging to Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in the Accra West Region. Mr. Sadiq was apprehended on February 23, 2024, after being caught with the stolen meter and a standpipe tap in his possession.
During his court appearance on February 27, 2024, Mr. Sadiq pleaded guilty to intentionally and unlawfully causing damage to public property, but he denied the charge of stealing, despite being caught with the meter in his sack. The court sentenced him to pay a fine of GH¢2,400 or face a six-month jail term. Mr. Sadiq was also ordered to reappear before the court on April 11, 2024, for a hearing on the stealing charge.
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of meter theft faced by GWL, particularly in the Kasoa/Nyanyano area of the Accra West Region. Meter theft not only disrupts GWL’s operations but also hinders its goal of achieving a 100% metering ratio nationwide. Without water meters, customers are billed on estimates, leading to tensions between customers and GWL’s commercial officers.
In a related case, Marvin Godwin, another Nigerian national, was arrested in September 2023 for meter theft in Kasoa Nyanyano and was convicted by the Ofaakor Circuit Court. He is currently serving his sentence in jail.
GWL has urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to meter theft to the police to help combat this challenge effectively.