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Consumers challenge Ikeja Electric over threat to withdraw prepaid meters

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4 years ago

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A group of entrepreneurs and customers of Ikeja Electric Plc. in Lagos State, weekend, sent an S.O.S to the Minister for Power, accusing the electricity distribution company of desperate attempts to crush their operations.

Specifically, they accused the officials of the energy supplier, believed to be the largest electricity distribution company in Nigeria, of threatening to ‘’forcefully confiscate their meters under the pretext that the consumers were operating with what they termed “old meters’’.

Thrice last week, the staff of the company from Igbobi Undertaking in the Somolu area of the State who mobilised to forcefully uninstall and cart the meters away were resisted.

“And, despite repeated explanations and appeals, the electricity company team said to be led by a male management of the company refused, bluntly to listen, saying that Ikeja Electric Distribution Company had already phased out ‘old meters’, the affected consumers stated.

‘’We further appealed to the officers that the meters were purchased by us and that it will be illegal to withdraw the meters which we bought, without replacement.

‘’In fact, we told them that we are of the opinion that in a normal clime, the meters should be replaced when they are withdrawing the current ones instead of putting us in darkness.

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‘’But to our dismay, they mobilised the second day, in multiples, apparently poised for a showdown with us.

‘’However, as law abiding citizens, we maintained our position that our meters were sold to us by Ikeja Electricity company and further our claims that we paid with bank drafts in favour of Ikeja Electric, yet they insisted on taking away our property’’, the customers said.

‘’Yet the team leader who  was simply called ‘Sam’, the Undertaking Manager told us that throughout the country, meters are the property of electricity distribution companies, hence they are at liberty to withdraw same anytime, even, without notice.

‘’Despite the argument that we would inform our lawyers about the development, for advice, the Ikeja Electric men re-surfaced the third day with ladders, threatening to illegally cart away our meters and we still, as gentlemen and law abiding citizens asked them to reason.

‘’At that point, one of them told us that he did not expect us to argue the matter because if occasion demands, he would never resist taking his own meter by the company.

The electricity company however said that customers with ‘old meter’ should apply for ‘new meter’ while they would be ‘put on estimates’ pending the approval of their application.

‘’We were mandated to pay for ‘new meters’ costing approximately N117,000.00 each, within 14 days, failure which  the officials threatened to take “drastic action’’.

Similar situation was reported by a top Lagos civil servant at the Ipaja New Town Scheme, an estate flagged off by the Lagos State Government in Ilapo Village via AIT, Alagbado Lagos, who recently approached Ikeja Electric for the replacement of her damaged ‘Customer Card’ but was only told to buy a new meter because the present one is ‘outdated’.

According to the consumer, ‘’they bluntly told me l would need to immediately pay for a new one which l did not plan for due to the present economic realities’’.

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Two of the affected consumers,  Dele Oguntayo, journalist  and  Abass Adie, a businessman, narrated how the ‘bold-faced’ Ikeja Electric personnel swooped on their premises for the withdrawal of their meter to which they declined.

Oguntayo explained that he applied for a meter in year 2010 having paid N55,000.00 bank draft to Ikeja Electric and was not metered for several months.

While he was being issued what he termed ‘cut-throat estimated bills’ for about a year, he added that ‘’at a point, despite operating with a stand-by generator for several hours daily, the Ikeja Electric was billing him “thousands of Naira every month.

“The meter l applied for in the first quarter of that year was not supplied until about a year after my application and payment despite repeated visits and pleas to the company.

“Something will interest you: A professional colleague in a news agency as Energy Correspondent in Lagos had come visiting; and, about a year after his first visit, he promised to take my matter up with the Managing Director of Ikeja Electric.

“He even challenged me that as a journalist, l should have approached either the company’s Head of  Public Affairs or better still, the Managing Director.

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“So, less than 24 hours of his intervention, two meters were brought to me, same day, on the instruction of the Managing Director of Ikeja Electric!

‘’My conclusion then was that the officials were hoarding the meters for the highest bidders and did not attend to applicants, except through touts.

“It may interest you again that about ten years later, a female staff of the Ikeja Electricity Company who claimed to be of the marketing department came with another joker, claiming that the meter I was using was the allocation of a woman within the zone.

“She threatened to withdraw the meter because, according to her, l probably manipulated the system to secure the meter through the back-door.

“Consequently, I  made several visits to see the Manager when they relocated to Obanikoro area of Ikorodu Road but was always told that their boss was busy.

‘’But when I spoke with one Mr. Ayeni, the Ikeja Electric spokesman on the telephone last week, about the recent threat and my resolve to brief a lawyer, he directed me to one Mrs. Ayanga, the Igbobi Business Manager who could still not be reached for an appointment.”

While reacting to the incident, Adie was of the view that upgrading of facilities, including the metering system was a welcome development and asked the company to phase payment of the new meter rather than putting consumers on estimated bills after withdrawal of the existing meters.

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South African Woman Jailed 25 Years for Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin into Nigeria

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11 hours ago

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September 17, 2026

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South African Woman Jailed 25 Years for Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin into Nigeria
Will Jessica Ann

South African Woman Jailed 25 Years for Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin into Nigeria

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu handed down the sentence after Ann pleaded guilty to charges brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The defendant was sentenced to 15 years on the first count and 25 years on the second count, with both terms ordered to run concurrently. This means she will serve a maximum of 25 years, rather than 40 years.

The case dates back to July 6, 2026, when NDLEA operatives intercepted Ann during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha at the Abuja airport.

Ann was travelling with her three-year-old son when she was stopped by anti-narcotics officers.

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According to details presented in court, the NDLEA said Ann initially denied having any checked-in luggage. However, operatives reportedly established that two suitcases containing the illicit substance carried baggage tags corresponding with the claim tags attached to her passport.

The agency said the two suitcases contained 14 large blocks of heroin, weighing a total of 5.75kg.

Ann reportedly admitted ownership of the luggage and told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.

During the proceedings, the prosecution also told the court that Ann had admitted to conspiring with Jan Coenraad De Jager, a South African man who remains at large.

She was subsequently arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of heroin under the relevant provisions of the law.

Ann pleaded guilty to the charges in August, prompting the prosecution to present the facts of the case before the court proceeded to sentencing.

The court was told that the seized heroin had an estimated street value of about ₦103.5 million, based on an estimated value of approximately ₦18 million per kilogramme.

Ann pleaded for leniency, expressed remorse and promised not to engage in drug trafficking again. She also told the court that she did not know there were illicit drugs in the bags.

After considering the facts of the case, Justice Egwuatu sentenced her to 15 years on Count One and 25 years on Count Two, directing that the sentences run concurrently.

The court also ordered that the seized heroin should be destroyed if the convict does not appeal within the period prescribed by law.

The case is part of the NDLEA‘s efforts to intercept illicit drug consignments being brought into Nigeria through international airports and other entry points.

The seizure at Abuja airport, followed by the defendant’s guilty plea and conviction, has resulted in the 25-year custodial sentence imposed by the Federal High Court.

South African Woman Jailed 25 Years for Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin into Nigeria

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Kaduna Troops Rescue Two-Year-Old Boy From Kidnappers, Search for Mother Continues

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18 hours ago

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September 17, 2026

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Kaduna Troops Rescue Two-Year-Old Boy From Kidnappers, Search for Mother Continues

A two-year-old boy is back with his family after troops rescued him from suspected kidnappers in Kaduna State.

Jafaru Baba was abducted with his mother from Ungwan Nungu village in Sanga Local Government Area. Troops later recovered the child after tracking the kidnappers to an area around Tayu Village.

The rescue followed intelligence received by security forces about the movement of the abductors and their victims.

According to security sources cited by security analyst Zagazola Makama, troops launched the operation at about 4pm on Wednesday, September 16.

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They searched Tayu High Grounds, Tayu Village and surrounding parts of Sanga LGA. The operation later brought the troops into contact with the suspected kidnappers.

A gunfight followed, forcing the abductors to retreat into the bush. In the process, they left the toddler behind.

The troops quickly secured Jafaru and later handed him over to his father.

Security sources said the troops fired 17 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition during the confrontation.

Meanwhile, the search has not ended. Security personnel are still combing the area for the child’s mother, who remains in the kidnappers’ custody.

They are also pursuing the suspects who fled after the encounter, as efforts continue to rescue the woman and bring those responsible for the abduction into custody.

Kaduna Troops Rescue Two-Year-Old Boy From Kidnappers, Search for Mother Continues

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Niger Mosque Abductions: Terrorists Execute 30 of 500 Captive Muslim Worshippers

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1 day ago

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September 16, 2026

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Niger Mosque Abductions: Terrorists Execute 30 of 500 Captive Muslim Worshippers
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu

Niger Mosque Abductions: Terrorists Execute 30 of 500 Captive Muslim Worshippers

MINNA, NIGERIA – The mass abduction of worshippers from mosques in Niger State has escalated dramatically, with armed terrorists reportedly executing some of the hundreds of captives seized during Friday prayers. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, travelled to Niger State on Saturday to assess the security situation and ordered reinforced rescue operations.

The attacks occurred on Friday, 21 August 2026, at approximately 2pm. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that armed men simultaneously attacked mosques in four communities – Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana – in the Borgu Local Government Area, while Muslims were observing Friday prayers. Witnesses described scenes of chaos. A Dekara resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the terrorists surrounded the mosque shortly after prayers began. “As soon as the imam said ‘Assalamualaikum’, the bandits surrounded the mosque and took people away.” Local residents estimate that more than 60 people were abducted from Dekara Central Mosque alone. In Gbezhin community, no fewer than 100 people remained unaccounted for as of Sunday evening. The terrorists later released a video claiming to hold approximately 500 captives, including women and children, with the sound of children crying audible in the footage.

On Saturday, the terrorists issued a warning to surrounding communities, ordering residents to vacate their homes within 30 minutes and threatening: “We will kill anyone we meet when we return.” Those threats appear to have been carried out. A Dekara resident told Daily Trust: “We received information that some of the abducted worshippers have been killed, but we do not know the exact number. Soldiers and vigilantes have moved to recover the bodies, but all routes accessible to security personnel have been planted with improvised explosive devices.” The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), through its chairman, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed that approximately 30 worshippers who attempted to flee were shot dead by the gunmen. This figure corresponds with reporting by NPO Reports.

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The continuing violence and execution threats have triggered mass displacement. Resident Usman Musa told journalists that more than 200 residents from Gbezin had fled to neighbouring Benin Republic for safety. Another resident added that approximately 230 residents from Gidan-Zana and Sabon-Gida were taking refuge in Gawungi, inside Benin, while others had fled to Kwara State to stay with relatives.

Among those abducted are several prominent community figures. According to Ismaila Yahaya, the 90-year-old village head of Ka’ada was among those taken. He is the biological father of the District Head of Dekara and had only recently been released from a previous kidnapping. The violence in Borgu Emirate has not been confined to the mosque attacks. The Niger State Government confirmed that Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, the village head of Galla, was killed by armed men at his residence. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago expressed condolences, describing the killing as evidence of the bandits’ “extreme arrogance”.

Amid the escalating crisis, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu visited Niger State on Saturday, 29 August, meeting with Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba at the Government House in Minna. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and pledged that “the safe rescue of the kidnapped victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice remains the focus of current operations”. Disu has ordered the deployment of elite reinforcements to Niger State, including counter-terrorism units, tactical squads and the police air wing. Assistant Inspector-General of Police Victor Olaiya of Zone 7 has been dispatched to coordinate rescue efforts. Addressing officers at the Niger State Police Command, the Inspector-General said: “Nigerians are watching to see the police do what is right. I am not here for ceremony, but to bring a strong message of support to officers and soldiers working under difficult conditions.”

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) described the attacks as “heinous and barbaric”, calling on the Federal Government to “move beyond sporadic rescue operations” and establish a permanent, intelligence-driven and community-centred security architecture. The Christian Association of Nigeria’s Niger State chapter urged the government to provide adequate security at places of worship nationwide, stressing that “an attack on any place of worship is an attack on the sanctity of worship and a threat to the wider community”. Amnesty International also urged Nigerian authorities to secure the safe release of the abducted worshippers, noting that at least 1,100 people were abducted in the country between January and April 2026, with the actual figure likely to be far higher.

As of press time, the Niger State Government said it had not received any contact or demands from the kidnappers. Information Commissioner Obed Nuhu, speaking in a television interview, said the attacks were suspected to have been carried out by Lakurawa and Boko Haram elements, though the exact number of victims remained unverified.

Niger Mosque Abductions: Terrorists Execute 30 of 500 Captive Muslim Worshippers

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