Band A Users to Get Relief as NERC Orders DisCos Compensation Plan

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved a compensation framework for eligible Band A electricity customers affected by prolonged power shortages across Nigeria, following widespread generation and transmission constraints within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

According to a public notice issued on Thursday, the regulator said the decision covers service disruptions recorded between February and March 2026, during which several Distribution Companies (DisCos) failed to meet the minimum supply threshold required under the Band A service-based tariff regime.

The affected DisCos include major operators such as Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ikeja Electric, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO), and Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

NERC attributed the shortfall in electricity supply to a combination of inadequate gas supply to thermal power plants, grid constraints, and vandalism of critical gas and transmission infrastructure, which significantly reduced available generation capacity during the review period.

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Under the approved compensation arrangement, feeders that supplied between 18 and 20 hours of electricity daily will still qualify for partial relief under the existing regulatory framework covering both Maximum Demand (MD) and Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) customers.

However, customers on Band A feeders that received less than 18 hours of supply daily during the affected months will receive additional compensation. NERC clarified that such feeders will not be downgraded for the period under review despite failing to meet the required service standard.

For Non-MD customers, compensation will be calculated at 20 per cent of the approved February 2026 energy cap applicable to their feeders, while MD customers will receive compensation equivalent to 20 per cent of their average billed energy for February 2026.

The commission directed that prepaid customers should receive compensation through token credits, while postpaid customers will benefit from bill adjustments reflecting the value of the shortfall.

NERC further instructed that DisCos must complete compensation payments for February 2026 by May 31, 2026, while March 2026 compensation must be implemented no later than June 30, 2026.

It also warned DisCos against using compensation credits to offset customer debts, stressing that customers must be clearly informed of the value, period, and basis of the compensation.

The regulator said the intervention is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen consumer protection under Nigeria’s electricity market reform programme, ensuring that tariff increases under the Band A structure are matched with measurable service delivery.

Industry stakeholders have long criticised inconsistent power supply under the Band A classification, arguing that many customers continue to receive less than the promised 20 hours of electricity per day despite paying higher tariffs.

NERC said it will closely monitor compliance by all DisCos and conduct verification exercises to ensure affected customers receive full entitlements, warning that further regulatory sanctions may apply in cases of non-compliance.

Band A Users to Get Relief as NERC Orders DisCos Compensation Plan

Four NYSC Members, Soldier, Passenger Killed in Adamawa Road Crash

Four members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a soldier and another passenger have died in a tragic road accident along the Girei–Song Highway in Adamawa State.

The fatal crash occurred at about 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday in the Narehi area of Girei Local Government Area when a military gun truck travelling from Gombi to Yola collided with a commercial Hummer bus conveying passengers from Yola to Mubi.

Eyewitnesses said the impact of the collision caused the commercial bus to overturn before it burst into flames, trapping occupants inside the vehicle.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said all five passengers aboard the Hummer bus were burnt beyond recognition after the vehicle caught fire following the crash.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that four of the victims were serving members of the National Youth Service Corps posted to Adamawa State.

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Nguroje identified two of the deceased corps members as Suleiman Juliet and Usman Shuaibu, both from Kaduna State, while efforts are ongoing to establish the identities of the remaining victims.

The police spokesperson added that a soldier travelling in the military vehicle also lost his life, while several other occupants of the military truck sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment.

Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), military authorities and other emergency responders were immediately deployed to the scene to carry out rescue operations and evacuate victims.

The bodies of the deceased were later deposited at the Specialist Hospital in Yola, while investigations have commenced to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision.

The Adamawa State Police Command expressed condolences to the families of the victims and assured the public that all necessary steps were being taken to identify the remaining deceased persons and notify their relatives.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted concerns over road safety on the busy Yola–Mubi corridor, a major highway that has witnessed several fatal crashes in recent years. Authorities have pledged to provide further updates as investigations progress. (Emirate Radio)

Four NYSC Members, Soldier, Passenger Killed in Adamawa Road Crash

Jilted Groom Sues Ex-Fiancée’s Father for Dowry Refund

A businessman, Nasiru Dayyabu, has dragged the father of his ex-fiancée, Mallam Sani Direba, before a Shari’a Court II sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, demanding the refund of N260,000 paid as dowry and introduction fees for a marriage that never materialized. The complainant joined Direba in the suit alongside two brothers, demanding a refund of N250,000 dowry and N10,000 introduction money (kudin gausuwa) paid to secure the defendant’s daughter’s hand in marriage. However, in a surprising turn of events inside the courtroom, the three defendants appeared with the full N260,000 and declared they were ready to present it to the court.

Represented by his counsel, Mr. Sani Sunusi, Dayyabu told the court that he sent his people from Karaye, Kano State, to Kaduna in 2025 to formally seek the defendant’s daughter’s hand in marriage. According to the complainant, the traditional processes were completed, including payment of the dowry and introduction money, and both families were awaiting a date for the wedding ceremony. “Unfortunately, the lady’s father called to inform us that they have cancelled the marriage,” the counsel told the court. The complainant said he had requested a refund of his money since September 2025, but all efforts to recover the funds proved abortive. He further claimed that his client had traveled from Kano to Kaduna three times to resolve the issue before eventually filing a suit and hiring a lawyer—a situation he said significantly affected Dayyabu’s finances.

Sunusi, therefore, prayed the court to compel the defendants not only to refund the N260,000 but also to pay an additional N250,000 as damages for wasting his client’s time and resources. On their part, the three defendants surprised the courtroom by stating that they had come prepared with the N260,000 dowry and introduction money and were ready to present it to the court immediately. However, regarding the additional claim of N250,000 as compensation for “wasted time,” the first defendant offered a contrasting narrative. He claimed that it was Dayyabu himself who called off the marriage, not the bride’s family. This dispute over who actually terminated the marriage agreement could prove crucial in determining whether the court awards the additional damages being sought by the complainant.

The presiding judge, Mallam Yakubu Abdullahi, asked the defendants if they had witnesses to support their claim that Dayyabu was responsible for calling off the marriage. The defendants confirmed that they did. Consequently, the judge adjourned the case to June 17, 2026, for the defendants to present their witnesses and substantiate their version of events.

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This case highlights a recurring legal issue within Nigeria’s pluralistic legal system, where customary and Islamic laws govern marriage contracts alongside statutory law. Under Islamic law, which applies in Shari’a courts across northern Nigeria, a woman seeking divorce (khul’i) may return the dowry, but courts often allow flexibility based on economic hardship. In customary law contexts across Nigeria, the refund of bride price is widely recognized as a critical step in formally terminating a customary marriage. In the landmark case of Eze v. Omeke (1977) , the court described dissolution of a customary marriage without addressing bride price refund as “meaningless.” Similarly, in Ezeaku v. Okonkwo, the Court of Appeal adopted the principle that “the refund of the bride price is one of the important subjects to be settled” when a customary marriage ends. However, legal experts note that bride price refund is not automatic or absolute under all circumstances. Factors such as the duration of the marriage, the birth of children, and the wife’s contributions to the household may affect refund obligations.

This is not the first time a jilted groom has approached the same Shari’a Court in Magajin Gari seeking dowry refund. The court, presided over by Judge Yakubu Abdullahi, has handled several related cases in recent months. In October 2019, a 70-year-old man, Abdullahi Dahiru, prayed the court to recover N25,000 dowry he paid to his alleged former fiancée, Ms. Rakiya Ibrahim. In that case, the woman had given birth to twins, which the elderly groom rejected, claiming he had never been intimate with her. More recently, in April 2026, a Shari’a court sitting at Magajin Gari granted Ahmad Kazeem’s request for time to amicably resolve his matrimonial difference with his wife, Jamilat Abdullahi, who had filed for divorce and declared she was ready to refund the N10,000 dowry. In May 2026, another case before the same court saw Fatima Usman seek divorce from her husband, Sulaiman Adamu, after three months of marriage through Khul’i (redemption divorce) . Fatima offered to pay half of the N100,000 dowry—N50,000—to secure her freedom. Judge Yakubu Abdullahi ruled that their marriage had been dissolved and ordered her to pay back the dowry immediately, explaining that in Islam, a woman seeking divorce is allowed to return her dowry, which could be higher or less than the actual dowry paid to her.

In another notable case before the court, the judge ordered a woman, Hauwa’u, to return N100,000 dowry and an additional N20,000 given as “Kudin Gaisuwa” (money given to her parents during introduction) to redeem herself from her one-year marriage to businessman Malam Baballe Ibrahim. In a more extreme example, a Sharia Court in Magajin Gari ordered a divorce-seeking housewife, Binta Sani, to pay N20,000 to her estranged husband, Adamu Abdullahi, to free herself from their 19-year marriage. The judge noted that while the petitioner had the right in Islam to ask for a divorce, the court also has the right to add to the amount of the dowry to enable the husband to remarry.

As the June 17 hearing approaches, the key question remains: who actually called off the marriage? The defendants claim Dayyabu was the one who terminated the agreement, while the complainant insists the bride’s family canceled the wedding. The outcome of this factual dispute will likely determine whether Dayyabu receives only the N260,000 refund or also secures the additional N250,000 in damages. If the defendants’ witnesses can credibly establish that Dayyabu walked away from the marriage voluntarily, the court may limit its order to the refund of the dowry and introduction money—which the defendants have already indicated they are willing to pay. However, if the court finds that the bride’s family unjustly canceled the marriage without justification, the additional claim for damages may succeed. The case also underscores the importance of documentation in customary marriage negotiations, as written agreements or witnesses to the terms of the betrothal can prove decisive in disputes over who bears responsibility when a marriage agreement collapses.

Jilted Groom Sues Ex-Fiancée’s Father for Dowry Refund