A Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court has adjourned to Sept. 29, a suit filed against two employees of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over alleged malicious disconnection of electricity supply.
The two AEDC employees are James Olayemi and Lameed Obadaki.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case, which was first mentioned on July 28, was filed by Mr Dennis Osanwuta, a staff of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lokoja.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday in Lokoja, Osanwuta under cross examination by the private prosecution counsel, Mr O.C. King, said his house was razed down and property worth over N600 million lost to fire due to negligence of AEDC in 2014.
He said that without asking for any form of compensation, he erected another house in its place adding that the new building was connected to the grid and the AEDC installed Maximum Demand Meter without explanation.
According to him, the meter drew a monthly bill of between N275,000 and N130,000 representing over 400 per cent increase on his former bills before the inferno.
Osanwuta said he felt that the bills were astronomical and outrageous and lodged a complaint with the company but efforts to get the bill reviewed failed.
“The AEDC brought a bill of N275,000 to me for the month of February, 2020 which I paid. Also in the month of March the same company brought a bill of N130,000 which I paid even though the bills were in contention.
“I was not owing AEDC a kobo when the duo of James Olayemi and Lameed Obadaki, without prior notice, went ahead to disconnect my light and all entreaties to restore supply failed”, he said.
Osanwuta told the court that after exploring all processes to solve the matter amicably failed, he decided to seek justice through the law court.
He prayed the Chief Magistrate Court to order the defendants to reconnect his electricity and for AEDC to tender apology to him and pay damages for the inconveniences caused him by the action of the defendants.
The counsel to the defendants, Mr C.P. Ocheja while cross examining the claimant said the 10 days notice of disconnection was boldly written on the AEDC bills, but Osanwuta “refused” to comply.
He added that the refusal of the complainant to write an undertaking as instructed by the management of AEDC delayed the reconnection of his light.
The Chief Magistrate Tanko Mohammed of Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court I, after listening carefully to the cross examinations, adjourned the case until Sept. 29 for further hearing. (NAN)