Lagos Residents Protest, Accuse Eko Electricity Company Of Extortion, Fraudulent Billing Of N150,000 Per Compound

Residents of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, nether the aegis of Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM), person petitioned Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) implicit alleged aggregate billing and overcharging practices.
In a missive to EKEDP's Acting CEO, Mrs. Rekhiat Momoh, the residents expressed dissatisfaction with the "unjustified and fraudulent" billing system, which imposes exorbitant charges ranging from N40,000 to N150,000 per compound, contempt minimal energy usage.
The residents besides condemned the further flat-rate bills of N7,808, allegedly to retrieve NERC's punishment against EKEDP for failing to decently measure residents oregon overbilling prepaid metre consumers.
APM claimed that assemblage findings revealed these aggregate billings deficiency NERC’s orders oregon backing, making them "unwarranted and unlawful." 
The affected communities, including Etugbo Street, Layinka Street, and Boundary Road, acquisition erratic powerfulness supply, affecting tiny businesses, sleeping hours, and neighbourhood security.
In a video made disposable to SaharaReporters, the aggravated residents were heard saying the EKEDP officials were lying that the overbilling was authorised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). 
“Between January past twelvemonth and September past year, EKODisco cheated america with 14 cardinal naira and erstwhile we observed that they don introduced 2 bills for america (per metre), we asked wherefore they introduced 2 bills, the archetypal happening they told america was that they privation to springiness america prepaid metres,” 1 of them said successful the video. 
APM’s property connection besides reads: “We, the undersigned representatives of Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM), connected behalf of the residents and consumers of energy successful the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, constitute to explicit our heavy dissatisfaction and outright rejection of the aggregate and unjustified billing practices precocious imposed connected our communities by Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP). We enactment with dismay that this signifier is not lone burdensome but besides without the ineligible backing of the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC). Therefore, we see it arsenic some fraudulent and illegal.

“A peculiarly troubling improvement is the issuance of an further chiseled measure for each measure to consumers. The archetypal is the "normal bill," that imposes exorbitant charges ranging from N40,000 to N150,000 per compound. This is adjacent though galore of these compounds are inhabited by tenants who usage minimal electricity, typically constricted to conscionable airy bulbs and fans. In addition, EKEDP has imposed abstracted caller bills astatine a level complaint of N7,808 each connected consumers, successful summation to the regular monthly bills. We person been informed that this further billing is to surreptitiously retrieve NERC’s punishment against EKEDP for failing to decently measure residents oregon for overbilling consumers that were provided prepaid meters. However, assemblage findings person revealed that specified aggregate billings deficiency NERC orders oregon backing, making them unwarranted and unlawful.

“It is alarming that adjacent though astir of the Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA are classified nether Band B and C for energy supply, we are witnessing wide instances of extortion done overbilling successful assorted streets, including but not constricted to Etugbo Street, Layinka Street, Boundary Road, Odofin Street, Amechi Street, Arumoh Street, Nosamu Street, Orodu Street. These communities endure from erratic and insufficient powerfulness supply, which has severely affected tiny and mean enterprises (SMEs), disrupted sleeping hours, and jeopardised the information of the neighbourhood. The inflated bills imposed connected these residents are neither justifiable nor reflective of the mediocre level of work received.

“Furthermore, we are disheartened by the continued nonaccomplishment of EKEDP's absorption to nutrient the NERC Order that purportedly authorised these aggregate billings, arsenic was promised during the dialog gathering held connected August 16, 2024, with the EKEDP Orege subdivision and Apapa District, led by Mr. Olaitan, Head of Billing. This nonaccomplishment to nutrient the said Order raises superior concerns astir the transparency and fairness of the existent billing practices.

“In protestation of these unreasonable charges and EKEDP's refusal to supply the requisite documentation, we hereby cull and instrumentality the caller flat-rate bills of N7,808, which person nary ground successful NERC regulations and billing methodology. We request an contiguous cessation of these aggregate billing practices, withdrawal of each other bills and nary disconnection of immoderate consumer/customer based connected the caller bill. We importune connected a transparent, equitable billing strategy that reflects existent depletion and is successful compliance with NERC guidelines. We besides request the issuance of prepaid meters to each consumers/customers escaped of charge.

“Moreover, we petition a municipality hallway gathering betwixt EKEDP absorption and the residents of Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA to code these grievances openly and transparently. We spot that EKEDP volition instrumentality contiguous enactment to rectify this concern and reconstruct the spot of the people.”