A resident of Bucknor Estate in the Ejigbo area of Lagos, Oluwayemi Afuape, has accused Ikeja Electric Distribution Company of unlawfully disconnecting his electricity supply and threatening him during the process.
Mr Afuape made these allegations in a formal petition to the distribution company after officials disconnected his power supply on Wednesday. According to his account, the officials claimed he had failed to notify the company that his area falls under the Band A electricity classification.
Mr Afuape, whose prepaid meter bears ID 0213240202589, stated that the officials confirmed during their visit that there was no evidence of meter tampering or interference with his electrical wiring.
He further asserted that he has consistently purchased electricity through the company’s approved payment channels and has not breached any obligations under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulations. The resident argued that consumers are not required under NERC guidelines to self-declare their electricity supply band, describing the allegation against him as unfounded.
He also alleged that the distribution company violated his rights as a customer by failing to notify him of his specific supply band and disconnecting his electricity without prior written notice.
Alleged threats
Mr Afuape accused one of the company’s field officials of threatening him while he recorded the incident on his mobile phone.
“The DisCo staff verbally threatened to destroy my mobile phone and physically assault me with a pen because I was capturing the entire event inside my compound,” the resident stated.
“I must inform you that the entire incident was captured on video, which I have secured and will make available to the appropriate authorities should this matter escalate further.”
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Demands
The resident has requested that Ikeja Electric immediately restore electricity to his residence, provide a written explanation for the disconnection, and launch an investigation into the conduct of the official involved.
He stated that he expects a response within 24 hours, failing which he will escalate the matter to the NERC’s Forum Office and report the alleged threat to law enforcement agencies.
Ikeja Electric had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report. Calls and text messages sent to the company’s spokesperson, Kingsley Okotie, were not returned.
