The Nation Newspaper

Tag: IKEDC

  • Lagos ‘Band A’ residents beg IKEDC over prolonged blackout, faulty transformer

    Lagos ‘Band A’ residents beg IKEDC over prolonged blackout, faulty transformer

    Frustrated by the prolonged blackout caused by a faulty transformer supplying power, residents and business owners on six streets — Raji Oba, Awoyemi, Folarin, Ajala, Olonade and Akinshola — in Alimosho area of Lagos State have decried and lamented the over three months’ power outage.

    According to them, the power outage which occurred in the second week of March 2025 is crippling businesses and severely impacting the quality of life in the communities.

    The residents called on Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) to urgently look into the situation and address the prolonged power outage, especially by fixing the faulty transformer.

    Our correspondent understands that these streets are under the Band A consumers’ category, and they should enjoy 20 to 24 hours of power supply daily. However, these consumers complained that this has not been the case for over three months since the transformer was taken away.

    The residents said the prolonged absence of electricity has made them vulnerable to attacks from marauders who operate under the cover of darkness.

    One of the residents, Michael, said the lack of power supply had worsened commercial activities in the community, adding that access to water had also been affected.

    Michael said, “So, we are pleading as a community, as one, for Ikeja Electric and the appropriate authorities to listen to our cries to save our communities. Olonade-Akinsola and other streets have always been a good community, and we want it to remain like this.”

    “We have been struggling in darkness,” another resident who identified herself as Mama Chioma said.

    “We have been in total blackout for over three months, crippling businesses. We are pleading with IKEDC to urgently address this,” she further pleaded.

    In a letter dated March 16 and addressed to IKEDC by the Olonade-Akinsola community titled: “Urgent request for Band A intervention on prolonged power outage in our community”, noted that several efforts and reports have been made to IKEDC’s customer service and local office, but the situation remains unresolved.

    Read Also: Air Force vows to sanction officers over invasion of IKEDC’s office

    The community association noted that the sad situation had also grounded businesses and other activities that rely on electricity.

    It partly reads, “The power failure has severely impacted our daily activities, businesses, healthcare services and overall well-being in these six streets.

    “We are yet to receive a clear response regarding an estimated time for restoration. The continuous blackout has caused significant discomfort, economic losses, and security concerns within our community.

    “In the light of the above, we respectfully request urgent intervention and a directive to the appropriate department to expedite the resolution of this issue.”

    The community further called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to urgently intervene.

  • University don raises the alarm over alleged extortion of customers by IKEDC

    University don raises the alarm over alleged extortion of customers by IKEDC

    Associate Professor, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS), Lagos State University (LASU), Tunde Akanni, has raised the alarm over alleged extortion practices by the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC).

    In a formal appeal addressed to the Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, and the General Manager of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Afolabi Solebo, Akanni called for urgent intervention against what he termed “rampaging extortion” targeting customers in Ikeja.

    According to Akanni, IKEDC has been deactivating UNISTAR pre-paid meters serving residents of Lagos State Government (LASG) quarters at 47 Sobo Arobiodu Street, Ikeja GRA, despite directives from FCCPC against tampering with such meters.

    “What they do is await the exhaustion of the running credits on meters, allow customers to recharge their cards, but ensure they are unable to reload. Once this happens, they claim the meter is bad and due for replacement,” he explained.

    Akanni described the process as a calculated effort to coerce customers into purchasing new meters at exorbitant costs.

    “They deceitfully convince customers to allow the retrieval of the UNISTAR meters. Once hope begins to fade, customers are compelled to pay arbitrary bills or make desperate reconnection requests,” he said.

    He further alleged that these actions have led to inflated electricity bills, with some residents receiving charges as high as ₦270,000 far above their typical consumption.

    Read Also: Man calls out IKEDC over crazy bills

    Sharing his personal ordeal, Akanni recounted how IKEDC operatives retrieved his UNISTAR meter on December 27, 2024, after he recharged with ₦25,000 but was unable to reload due to a deliberate deactivation.

    “Despite citing the FCCPC directive to them, I was told to apply online for a new meter at a cost of ₦120,000. When I visited their office to follow up, I was informed that their portal was down, and arbitrary billing would continue indefinitely,” he lamented.

    The FCCPC had previously warned IKEDC and other distribution companies against unauthorized replacements of UNISTAR meters, emphasizing that such actions were non-compliant with regulatory directives.

    However, Akanni noted that IKEDC has persisted with these practices, even targeting residents of government quarters.

    “If they have the effrontery to subject LASG employees to this embarrassing situation, one can imagine what helpless private citizens are going through,” he stated.

    Akanni has urged FCCPC and LASCOPA to take immediate action to protect consumers from IKEDC’s alleged extortion and arbitrary billing practices.

    “This onslaught against lawful customers must be stalled. Your intervention is urgently needed to restore fairness and transparency in electricity supply,” he appealed.

    Efforts to reach IKEDC for comment were unsuccessful at the time of this report.

  • Woman arraigned for stabbing police officer

    Woman arraigned for stabbing police officer

    A 57 -year-old woman, Elizabeth Oyindo, who allegedly stabbed a police officer with a broken bottle was on Friday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Oyindo, who resides at Ijaiye Ojokoro was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, breach of peace and assault.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Mr. Godwin Awase, had told the court that the suspect committed the offences on Jan.17 at her residence.

    He said that the accused and others, still at large, conspired to assault a police officer, Francis Azuruna, with a broken bottle.

    “The accused stabbed the complainant with a bottle while performing his lawful duty,” the prosecutor said.

    Awase said the complainant was sent to the house of the accused to restore peace between her and some staff of electricity company when he was assaulted.

    “The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) wanted to disconnect electricity supply to the apartment of the accused for owing.

    “The accused invited some hoodlums who came to remove and seize the ladder which Mr Yusuf Oloyede, a staffer of IKEDC, used to climb up while he was still on top of the poll.

    Read Also: Police  kick as Evans files N200m suit over seized trucks

    “Another staff of IKEDC called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ojokoro Station who sent the complainant to the scene.

    “On getting there, the accused and others attacked him. The accused was dragging his riffle and in the process stabbed him with a broken bottle on his right hand.

    “The accused was later arrested, while others escaped,” the prosecutor said.

    He said that the offences contravened Sections 168, 174 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, as revised.

    The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Mr J. A. Adigun, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Adigun said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until Feb. 23 for mention.

    NAN

  • IKEDC estimated billing crippling MSMEs

    IKEDC estimated billing crippling MSMEs

    SIR: I wish to share my experience with the Ikeja Electricity Development Company (IKEDC), which needs to be addressed urgently to help small businesses survive, especially in Agodo Alara area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

    I run a micro ice block production enterprise in Agodo Alara, Ikorodo but the IKEDC power bills invoiced to my small business in the last three years have been alarming. The problem started about three years ago when I was charged over N100,000 in one month. I just have a handful of machines to produce ice block and a few workers who make a living from the mini factory, and the new bill was a total shock because the business could not sustain such. So I invited the IKEDC officials to assess the premises and the business operations. Specifically, one Godwin from IKEDC Odogunyan business office came with me for the inspection and after assessing the place, assured that there would be a reduction from the following month’s billing. It’s unfortunate that rather than reduce, the bill kept increasing and as at today, the ‘estimated’ bill has increased to over N800,000.

    Why I know the estimated bill is inaccurate is that my machines have reduced significantly in the last two years due to wear and tear, yet the IKEDC power charges keeps skyrocketing. I have tried all within my power to get the prepaid meter, including sending letters of complaint and visiting the IKEDC head office but my efforts have been in vain. The IKEDC officials claim that they do not have prepaid meters.

    The story is similar for other small businesses in the area. I therefore plead that you publish this story and perhaps, the IKEDC and the Ministry of Power can come to our rescue.

    Permit me to note that many countries that have pulled out of economic recession allude to the role of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSMEs) and the manufacturing sector in their successful comeback. They share stories of how the ingenuity of small businesses and individuals improved productivity, created employment and wealth which quickly turned around the economic fortunes of many communities for the better. But here in Nigeria, specifically in Agodo Alara, Odogunyan, Ikorodu in Lagos State, the IKEDC seems to rather target micro and small businesses for ‘the kill’. Every month, they invoice our small businesses with outrageous estimated bills which do not commensurate with the size of our operations, supply nor actual consumption. IKEDC, please provide us with prepaid meters in Agodo Alara, Ikorodu or review your estimated bills in line with the reality of our operations.

     

    • Mrs. Margaret Adeyemi,

    Ikorodu, Lagos. 

  • No payment of bills again, residents dare IKEDC

    Residents of Santos, Onilekere, Onipetesi, Valley and Punch Estates in Alimosho and Ikeja Local Government Areas of Lagos had protested what they termed “exploitation and outrageous billing” by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

    The protesters, who brandished placards with various inscriptions such as: “No prepaid meter, No payment”, “Evil thrives under darkness, give us light”, “Enough of one day on, two of days off”, “Replacing 15MVA Transformer with 7MVA is not acceptable,” among others.

    They called on IKEDC to urgently address their plights or risk more protest actions.

    Dressed in black clothes to express the state of black out that has continuously thrown the communities into quandary, the aggrieved protesters alleged that IKEDC staff kept bringing estimated bills despite being in black out for over 12 months.

    “It has become so bad that they give us estimated billings, they bring outrageous bills, there is a situation of five houses having a problem of total damage of electric cable yet they kept bringing bills as high as N13,000 monthly. So we are saying enough of this, if there is no power, we won’t pay. We can’t be paying for sunshine,” Chairman, Valley Estate Residents’ Association, Mike Urubusi said, adding “If we cannot get power, then there shouldn’t be any billing coming to our estates. We have been here several times, we have written series of letters to them and they have continually lied to us telling us there’s a transformer they are bringing from Epe. Later they say they are going to import transformers to areas affected and install a new one at Mangoro substation.”

    He alleged that IKEDC has refused to attend to the jaded transformer at Mangoro since January which serves a whole stretch of communities with an estimated 350,000 population according to 2006 census figures.

    “The transformer that broke down at Mangoro is 15MVA and what they’re bringing now is 7.5 MVA. How can 7.5MVA serve that stretch of communities,” Urubusi queried.

    He said the non-provision of pre-paid meters to the electricity consumers in the communities by IKEDC has led to exploitation of residents in the area through estimated billings which does not commensurate with the actual power consume by consumers.

    Another resident who simply identified himself as Amaechi said: “less than 5 per cent of houses in the communities have been provided with prepaid meters. We have written letters and dialogued with them, yet nothing has changed, we had to resort to this to drive home our demands.”

    Tosin Bada, a resident of Santos estate, said: “They put us on one-day on and two-day off (power shedding arrangement), which I have never heard of anywhere in Lagos state. Even during ‘On days’ we don’t get up to 4 hours of electricity supply.”

    The development, he said, has forced many residents to move out of the estates and “has largely contributed to redundancy among artisans and business owners in the communities as many have lost huge fortunes to the menace of power outage running into months.”

    IKEDC Head of Corporate Communications Felix Ofulue, said the issue will be address appropriately.

    “They have promised to officially send in their demands to Ikeja Electric. When that is done, we will address the issues appropriately. Protest is not a suitable method to resolve issues. Their issues will be addressed in a proper manner,” he said.

  • No payment of bills again, residents dare IKEDC

    No payment of bills again, residents dare IKEDC

    Residents of Santos, Onilekere, Onipetesi, Valley and Punch Estates in Alimosho and Ikeja Local Government Areas of Lagos had protested what they termed “exploitation and outrageous billing” by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

    The protesters, who brandished placards with various inscriptions such as: “No prepaid meter, No payment”, “Evil thrives under darkness, give us light”, “Enough of one day on, two of days off”, “Replacing 15MVA Transformer with 7MVA is not acceptable,” among others.

    They called on IKEDC to urgently address their plights or risk more protest actions.

    Dressed in black clothes to express the state of black out that has continuously thrown the communities into quandary, the aggrieved protesters alleged that IKEDC staff kept bringing estimated bills despite being in black out for over 12 months.

    “It has become so bad that they give us estimated billings, they bring outrageous bills, there is a situation of five houses having a problem of total damage of electric cable yet they kept bringing bills as high as N13,000 monthly. So we are saying enough of this, if there is no power, we won’t pay. We can’t be paying for sunshine,” Chairman, Valley Estate Residents’ Association, Mike Urubusi said, adding “If we cannot get power, then there shouldn’t be any billing coming to our estates. We have been here several times, we have written series of letters to them and they have continually lied to us telling us there’s a transformer they are bringing from Epe. Later they say they are going to import transformers to areas affected and install a new one at Mangoro substation.”

    He alleged that IKEDC has refused to attend to the jaded transformer at Mangoro since January which serves a whole stretch of communities with an estimated 350,000 population according to 2006 census figures.

    “The transformer that broke down at Mangoro is 15MVA and what they’re bringing now is 7.5 MVA. How can 7.5MVA serve that stretch of communities,” Urubusi queried.

    He said the non-provision of pre-paid meters to the electricity consumers in the communities by IKEDC has led to exploitation of residents in the area through estimated billings which does not commensurate with the actual power consume by consumers.

    Another resident who simply identified himself as Amaechi said: “less than 5 per cent of houses in the communities have been provided with prepaid meters. We have written letters and dialogued with them, yet nothing has changed, we had to resort to this to drive home our demands.”

    Tosin Bada, a resident of Santos estate, said: “They put us on one-day on and two-day off (power shedding arrangement), which I have never heard of anywhere in Lagos state. Even during ‘On days’ we don’t get up to 4 hours of electricity supply.”

    The development, he said, has forced many residents to move out of the estates and “has largely contributed to redundancy among artisans and business owners in the communities as many have lost huge fortunes to the menace of power outage running into months.”

    IKEDC Head of Corporate Communications Felix Ofulue, said the issue will be address appropriately.

    “They have promised to officially send in their demands to Ikeja Electric. When that is done, we will address the issues appropriately. Protest is not a suitable method to resolve issues. Their issues will be addressed in a proper manner,” he said.

  • Trader accuses IKEDC, NSCDC of assault, wrongful detention

    Trader accuses IKEDC, NSCDC of assault, wrongful detention

    •NSCDC: she stabbed power firm’s official

    A petty trader, Mrs. Ayodele Ediale, 35, has accused Ikeja Electric (IE) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of unjust treatment but NSCDC denied the claim, saying the woman was never maltreated.
    Mrs. Ediale was paraded last month for allegedly stabbing an IE official, Stephen John Enyinna, during a disagreement at 6, Ayodola Street, Alimosho
    The woman, who said she was detained for four days and later charged to court without being given fair hearing, denied committing the offence.
    At the Public Advice Centre (PAC), Alausa, where she and her husband went to seek justice, she appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to look into her matter.
    She claimed, she was severely beaten up by Enyinna, who also used his helmet to hit her on her stomach and other parts of her body for “being rude.”
    She said: “It is really sad how people who think they have power trample on others. At no point did I stab him. In fact, he was the one who slapped me and started beating me that I answered his boss rudely. I had to fight back when the beating was too much before neighbours saw what was happening and pulled him away.
    “What actually caused the problem was that they had disconnected light from my mother’s house about three weeks before January 16. They had presented a very high bill which my widowed mother and stepmother couldn’t pay.
    “The men from IE office in Alimosho are always coming in batches to harass and extort the women, who had pleaded to pay the exorbitant bill in instalments.
    “So, I was at my mother’s house that January 16 when two IE workers entered the compound. I was outside with my step sister but my mother was inside. When they came, they asked who disconnected the light and where the wire was?
    “This disgusted me and my stepsister. We replied that such questioning was rhetorical and Enyinna Stephen went wild saying we were being rude to his boss and instantly slapped me.
    “I was infuriated and held onto his clothes as my sister tried to calm me down. Stephen continued to abuse and assault me, he incessantly hit my breasts and other parts of my body with his helmet.
    “After the brawl and scuffle, neighbours came around to my rescue. They dragged him out and locked our gate. I felt abused and started throwing stones at him, as my mother and neighbour calmed me.
    “Within an hour, some NSCDC officers came to my place armed with guns. I was surprised to see them and even more shocked to see Enyinna bleeding. They dragged me to their office and detained me after I was asked to write a statement.
    “I was still wondering why I am the one being detained instead of the man who assaulted me, then it occurred to me that he might have slit his arm intentionally so that he can get away with his crime against me.
    “Then, on January 18, I was paraded before newsmen and called a thief. I even tried to cover my face but NSCDC operatives brushed my hands off and shouted at me.
    “I was maltreated and wondered what crime I committed. At this point, I was advised to start pleading with the Ikeja Electric’s counsel. And that’s when I started apologising for a crime I didn’t commit. I and my husband knelt down to apologise to Stephen (Enyinna) at the NSCDC headquarters in Alausa.”
    NSCDC spokesperson, Mary Kehinde-Bada said from pictures and witnesses, testimonies, Mrs. Ediale stabbed Enyinna with a broken bottle.
    She said: “It’s untrue that we perpetrated injustice against her. We are in partnership with the electricrity companies because we protect their installations. Normally, when they go out to the field, our men usually escort them.
    “But that day at Alimosho,  none of our operatives went with them. So, when the incident happened, the officials called for backup and that was how our people got there. From our investigation, the woman broke a bottle and stabbed the official wirh it. We have picture evidence and also have testimonies from witnesses. It is also not true that she was denied bail. She was granted administrative bail but didn’t meet her bail condition.”

  • Save Idimu from IKEDC

    SIR: I appeal to the relevant regulatory authorities to quickly check the unbecoming activities of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC in Alimosho Local Council of Lagos State. The distribution company is not just toying with consumers in most communities therein, it is evidently reigning supreme.

    IKEDC, for several months and even without any cogent reason, completely withheld electricity supply to Idimu, a strategic part of the council. It is very glaring that businesses are closing down faster than imagined while health and environmental challenges are increasing at geometrical level. It is also evident that the anomaly is seriously endangering lives and property.

    The urgent intervention of concerned regulatory authorities will assist the consumers in deriving meaningful value for electricity services paid-for. It will also immensely help the people especially the less-privileged ones in cushioning the effect of the hard-biting recession. It will further boost the people’s confidence in the leadership at the centre.

     

    • Sunday Odiaka,

    Idimu, Lagos.

  • We can’t take IKEDC blackout any more

    We can’t take IKEDC blackout any more

    End to electricity consumers’ protests against poor services by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) appears interminable, as more communities complain about what they called “total darkness” and alleged rip-off by officials of the company.

    Tempers grew recently in some communities in Isheri-Oshun and their environs over the poor showing of the company.

    Leading some angry residents of Isheri-Oshun, Ikotun, Ijegun, Ayanwale, Adetoro and others in a protest against IKEDC, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Isheri-Oshun Unit took to the streets in protest of what they alleged to be a deliberate ploy by officials of the IKEDC to extort various sums of money from them without corresponding power supply.

    The protesters marched from the Rights House on Jordan Street Isheri-Oshun through streets in the area and stormed the IKEDC office on Chief Akwaiwu Street in the early morning of Wednesday, September 2, alleging, among other things, that the company placed them on “perpetual power blackout, non-installation of pre-paid metres and payment of bills by estimation”.

    In a chat with Southwest Report, the Coordinator of CDHR, Dr Chinedu Ifechigha said: “Metres are not read but bills are sent on estimated basis. We maintain that metres should be read to ensure that right and appropriate bills are paid for. We demand that pre-paid metres are installed in the homes of all consumers. To have light is our right and nobody pays for services not rendered.

    “It is unjust for service providers to demand illegal money from the masses for they did not provide. We say no to unjust treatment.”

    Members of CDHR leading others during the protest
    Members of CDHR leading others during the protest

    Chanting solidarity songs, the protesters, through the human rights group said if the alleged humiliation by officials of the company did not stop, “we will be left with no other option than dealing with, and resisting with stiff opposition, any official of the company found within our communities for the purpose of disconnection of power or collection of any levy within the affected communities.

    “We think it’s inhuman and unreasonable to expect the people to pay estimated and crazy bills when they didn’t use light. The constant harassment and embarrassment of the people by IKEDC officials to pay bills is totally uncalled for.”

    Dr Ifechigha further noted that Isheri-Oshun and some adjoining communities have experienced indescribable hardship as a result of poor showing by the electricity company, a situation which has affected socio-economic activities in the affected communities, even as he said social life in the areas has become uninteresting. Both large and small-scale businesses have been grounded.

    “Apart from these, people’s lives are at risk because the ugly trend has engendered a situation where almost every home has resorted to the use of power generating sets, which, most often, results in loss of lives. We say no to harmful neglect,” Dr Ifechigha said as he handed a copy of their protest letter to the manager of the Ijegun unit of IKEDC, Engineer Samuel; a copy of which was made available to Southwest Report.

    The letter signed by Dr Ifechigha and Comrade Mike Akpan, Coordinator and Secretary-General of the group respectively read: “We the members of Isheri-Oshun Unit of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), in conjunction with civil societies of Nigeria are disheartened as regards your operational services in power supply within the locality.

    “We are aware that you give priority to some areas than others; areas without power supply pay higher tariffs/charges than those enjoying your minimal supply; you have worked up increment of tariffs/charges despite the fact that there is no power supply; your inability to improve your services had added much on expenses of buying fuel for generators and so forth. Your poor services has crumbled the people’s economy and made life uncomfortable, unbearable and unsatisfactory.

    “We, therefore, mandatorily direct that you do the following: all areas within your jurisdiction must have adequate, full and constant power supply; further increment on tariffs/charges cancelled; illegal disconnection henceforth should be stopped; we should know why people living at Ayanwale, Boltex Street, Unity Street, Boripe, Amusa Ishola Street and their environs are exploited; we understand that you divert power supply meant for these areas to industrial areas to the detriment of the people living in the affected areas.

    “We expect total sanity within 14 days; after which there will be no payment of electricity bills within your jurisdiction; illegal disconnection will be crossed with all amount of opposition and such staff will regret doing such; increment in tariffs/charges is illegal and unacceptable. Services must be paid for and the services must be rendered.”

    Responding, Manager of the Ijegun Unit of the IKEDC, Engineer Samuel said since he took over the managerial responsibility of the unit four months ago, there has been improvement in power supply to consumers, even as he debunked allegation that the IKEDC is ripping consumers off.

    “Since I assumed office as the manager of this unit, people have been commending me on how I have improved the power supply situation. Power supply has improved in Okemuyi, Ijegun, Ayanwale, Adetoro and other communities.

    “I am not saying we have achieved the optimum but we will get there; Rome was not built in a day. It’s a gradual process,” he said.

    On the pre-paid metres, he said the process of installation has started, even as he warned consumers not to give anybody money for the installation as the facility is provided entirely free.

    He, however, appealed to the protesters and other consumers to be patient with the company as it is doing all it can to improve on power supply to its customers.

     

  • Group, residents protest rip-off by IKEDC

    Group, residents protest rip-off by IKEDC

    A group, under the aegis of Youth Alliance for Better Nigeria (YABN) and residents of Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to beam searchlight on all electricity distribution companies across the country in his current campaign against corruption.

    The group said there is the urgent need for the Federal Government to set up a committee that will monitor the operations of these companies to checkmate their inefficiencies, even as it maintained that there is a lot of misconduct on the part of the companies in the distribution of electricity as well as extortion of money from customers through coded and estimation bills.

    The group suggested that the Federal Government should revoke the licences of the private companies and bar them from distributing electricity to consumers. It alleged that the electricity distribution companies were operating contrary to the laid down rules of the Federal Government and National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC).

    The group alleged that the companies are over-billing the residents despite poor services rendered to them compared to the period of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    The group expressed its resentment to the situation in which some of the companies sell the pre-paid metres to costumers at a high price instead of giving them free to residents.

    •Resident protesting prolong power outage
    •Resident protesting prolong power outage

    Joined by residents of Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi, the group embarked on a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat, Alausa, to register their displeasure and grievances against the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) over its poor operation, outrageous bills, epileptic power supply lack of pre-paid metres and unlawful disconnection of their electric wires, among others complaints.

    No fewer than 50 buses conveyed the more than 3,000 residents to the State House. Adorned in all black attire to signify darkness which the company represents, some of them held placards with many inscription such as “we want pre-paid/smart metres,” “pre-paid metres will surely put a stop to IKEDC fraudulent act,” “Agege people are not chronic debtors,” “we are suffering from their unjustifiable net arrears of IKEDC,” “90 per cent buildings in Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi fall into the category of coded/estimated bills,” “we know they are intentionally starving us of the pre-paid metres,” and “save Agege/Mafoluku from the hands of this electrical Boko Haram.”

    Southwest Report gathered that the crisis between the IKEDC and the residents began in January, and efforts made to resolve the issues were not successful as the company always ignores the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreement both parties entered into.

    The residents said the overbilling of customers in the name of coded and estimation bills which IKEDC and other electricity distribution companies indulge in are part of corruption which President Buhari is waging war against, adding that their operations must be scrutinised.

    Speaking during the protest at Alausa, the President of the group, Adegoke Moruf Niniola, said the residents are suffering and smiling, saying residents should be spared the hassles of spending their little income on estimation bills, coded metres and higher billing of IKEDC.

    According to Niniola, all efforts made by the residents for the company to improve their services yielded no result; instead their bills keep on increasing at the end of every month.

    He said several meetings have been held with the company in order to find solution to the issues.

    “We have had series of meeting with the company on March 16, April 7, May 26 and June 28, this year. The meetings aimed at addressing the outrageous billings, epileptic power supply, quick distribution of pre-paid metres, maintenance of transformers, reconnection of fallen poles and cables and nonchalant attitude of their workers to the customers,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “A situation where residents used electricity for 72 hours in a month but ended up getting bills for 720 hours per month in the name of coded and estimated bills is unacceptable. The fraudulent act has rendered many Nigerians redundant. Many of the residents operating small-scale businesses can no longer continue because their little incomes were used to pay for electricity and fuelling their generating sets.”

    Niniola urged the government to stop the IKEDC from charging residents before releasing the pre-paid metres. He said plans by some members of staff of the company to demand N6, 000 payments before giving out the new metres to residents have been uncovered.

    The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Tunji Bello, who addressed the residents on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, praised the group and residents for the peaceful protest, promising that government would take necessary steps to address the issues raised.