A customer has filed a lawsuit seeking N50 million in general damages over alleged erroneous billing practices from Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
The customer, Ugochukwu Orakwue, a resident of Kogi, filed the lawsuit, in an originating summon submitted to Justice Nicodemus Auwalu of High Court II in Lokoja, Orakwue contended that the AEDC deliberately and inaccurately billed him for electricity, refusing to read his Postpaid Meter and instead relying on inflated estimated bills.
The plaintiff petitioned the court to issue an order restraining the AEDC from continuing to issue him electricity bills based on estimation, insisting that the bills should reflect the actual reading of his postpaid meter.
Furthermore, Orakwue sought a declaration that the AEDC’s practice of issuing bills based on estimation rather than meter readings violated the regulations set forth by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), deeming such actions illegal, null, and void.
An excerpt of the lawsuit reads.
During the recent court hearing, the AEDC’s counsel, Mr. G.D. Dubai, informed the court that discussions had commenced with the claimant to explore an out-of-court settlement.
Dubai conveyed that most of the issues raised had been forwarded to the management at the AEDC’s headquarters in Abuja for consideration.
The court, acknowledging the ongoing discussions, adjourned the case to February 22 for a report on the progress of the settlement or potential continuation of the hearing.
