Eneo, authorities intensify crackdown on electricity fraud.

The intensified anti-fraud operations, which effectively began on March 16, 2026, officials said, are aimed at curbing illegal electricity connections, safeguarding public safety, and strengthening the financial viability of Cameroon’s energy sector.

According to Eneo, the initiative forms part of a broader national effort to combat fraud, which, authorities said, costs the sector an estimated 60 billion FCFA annually, depriving it of vital resources needed for network expansion and service improvement.

Field operations in Japoma

During a joint field visit carried out on Thursday, March 19, at 'Quartier Dieu Beni' in Japoma locality of Douala III Subdivision, anti-fraud teams comprising Eneo officials and the Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy were deployed extensively across several houses.  

The Littoral Divisional Delegate of Water Resources and Energy, Chamko Joelle Mawel, disclosed that about 14 operational teams were mobilised on the ground, each tasked with installing multiple electricity metres and regularising connections.

By midday, she said, some 40 households had already been fitted with metres out of the 400 estimated. This, she said, marked significant progress in transitioning consumers from illegal to formal electricity access.

Authorities used the exercise not only to repress fraudulent practices, but also to assist residents in regularising their status through simplified procedures requiring basic identification documents and location details.

Fraud networks dismantled

Officials revealed that operations carried out since the launch of the campaign have led to the dismantling of several illegal electricity networks in both Douala and Yaoundé.

These include underground distribution systems run by individuals commonly referred to as “fraud barons,” some of who illegally supply electricity to entire communities, sometimes servicing up to 100 households.

In commercial areas, particularly among hardware stores and informal markets, large-scale illegal connections have also been uncovered and dismantled.

It should be recalled that Eneo’s General Manager, Amine Homman Ludiye, had warned that electricity fraud is not only an economic crime but a major public safety hazard.

“Fraud is not a shortcut to paying less; it is a public danger that undermines the energy sector and brings grief to families,” he stated, noting that such practices often result in electrocution, fires, and fluctuations in power supply.

Statistics from the sector indicate that approximately 40 deaths are recorded annually due to tampering with electricity infrastructure.

Community response

Local authorities and residents in Japoma welcomed the initiative, citing improved safety and more stable electricity supply.

Quarter head, Innocent Ngauss, expressed satisfaction with the development, highlighting that the formalisation of connections would reduce risks associated with poor-quality and unstable power previously experienced in the area.

Residents also testified to improved living conditions, noting that access to legal electricity would enhance household safety, enable better food preservation, and improve overall quality of life and wished the operation regularisation be extended to other parts of the country where constant blackout is still very rampant.

Reiterating that the fight against electricity fraud is a shared responsibility, Minister Eloundou Essomba had urged citizens to shun illegal intermediaries and obtain electricity through official channels.

Eneo has equally called on the public to report suspected fraud via its ethics hotline, 698 280 000) and to cooperate with authorised inspection teams.

The company emphasised that alongside enforcement, it remains committed to supporting customers willing to regularise their connections, as part of efforts to build a safer, more reliable and financially sustainable electricity network nationwide.

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3739 of Monday March 23, 2026