Two staff of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Kogi State, were on Tuesday arraigned before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court over alleged illegal and malicious disconnection of electricity supply, OBSERVERS TIMES report .
The duo of James Olayemi and Lameed Obadaki were charged with conspiracy to commit felony punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.
The offences it was gathered is also contrary to Regulations 5 and 11 of the Nigeria Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Connection And Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services 2007 and punishable under Section 94 of electric power sector reform (EPSR) Act 2005.
Counsel to the plaintiff O.C. King Esq. who was represented by Emeje Aruwa Esq, said the private prosecution was brought pursuant to sections 86, 87, 88, 107 (a), (e), 108(1) (c), 111, 112 and 113 of the Kogi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2017, by Surveyor Dennis Osanwuta.
The counsel to the plaintiff noted that the defendants, had on March 10, 2020 along with others still at large, did “maliciously and unlawfully disconnect electricity supply to electricity metre with Account number 715718350 supplying electricity to his client’s building being occupied by the complainant No 1, NIWA Quarters, Lokoja, Kogi State.
Osanwuta said that after his house was razed down and property worth over N600 million lost to fire outbreak caused by alleged negligence of AEDC in 2014, without any compensation by the company, he erected another house in its place.
The NIWA Surveyor added that the new building was connected to the grid and the AEDC installed Maximum Demand meter without explanation, drawing a monthly bill of between N140,000 and N130,000 representing over 400 per cent of his former bills before the inferno.
He said that bills were astronomical and outrageous and efforts to get the bill reviewed failed only for the two defendants to come to his premises and disconnect his electricity supply without notice.
In his ruling the Chief Magistrate, Tanko Mohammed said pursuant to section 35 (6) of the Constitution and Section 156 of the act and the fact that the prosecuting counsel did not oppose the bail application, he would use his discretion to grant bail to the defendants.
