The National Assembly (NASS) has been urged to use its oversight powers to protect Nigerian consumers from widespread extortion by Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). The Africa Anti-Slavery Coalition (AASLAC), a consumer advocacy group, has specifically called on NASS to organize a public hearing in Lagos to investigate and address fraudulent billing practices and the mismanagement of prepaid metering systems, which have become a major source of exploitation for Nigerians.
In a statement released by its Convener, Tony Masha, AASLAC decried the deliberate abuse of the prepaid metering system. Originally designed to ensure transparency and fairness by allowing consumers to pay only for the electricity they use, the system has instead been turned into a tool for rampant extortion. The group accused DisCos of preying on unsuspecting consumers through deceitful processes and billing schemes.
According to Masha, “In most parts of Lagos, consumers are lured into filling out forms to obtain prepaid meters. However, once this is done, bills begin to accumulate—regardless of whether the meters are installed or not. Consumers are left in a trap, accumulating debts that sometimes reach hundreds of thousands of Naira for meters they have never received. This is not only fraudulent but intolerable and must stop.”
AASLAC provided several examples of the abuses inflicted on Lagos residents by DisCos. One particularly alarming case occurred under Ikeja Electric in Gbagada, where prepaid meters for all flats in a compound were removed without prior notice. The residents were shocked to learn they were being asked to pay a staggering N367,000 for a meter they applied for over two years earlier to power a borehole—one that had never been installed. Despite repeated complaints from the landlord, Ikeja Electric failed to address the issue.
The coalition also highlighted cases of unjust disconnections. On the same street in Lagos, buildings numbered 18A and 18B were disconnected by DisCos because of outstanding debts owed by a small number of occupants in one of the buildings. Another incident in Ojota involved a landlord whose property was disconnected while he was away, owing to arrears accumulated by a tenant under the estimated billing system. These actions, AASLAC said, demonstrate a pattern of abuse where innocent consumers bear the brunt of the DisCos’ inefficiencies.
Perhaps the most egregious case involved a property owner who rebuilt a dilapidated house in Gbagada. Upon completing the renovation, the owner was compelled to pay N500,000 because the previous residents of the property had defaulted on their electricity bills. This unfair practice, AASLAC argued, places undue financial burdens on new occupants and property owners who are not responsible for historical debts.
The group further accused Eko Electric of failing to supply prepaid meters to many customers who had paid for them one or two years earlier. Instead, these consumers continue to receive inflated monthly bills while being pressured to pay additional charges to obtain the long-overdue meters.
“This extortion reaches alarming levels during festive periods,” AASLAC said. “We are calling on NASS to visit the offices of DisCos in Lagos undercover. If they do, they will witness firsthand the dehumanizing treatment of citizens by DisCo officials who act like demi-gods, disregarding the rights and dignity of consumers.”
The coalition welcomed the Senate’s recent acknowledgment that the 2013 privatization of Nigeria’s power sector was largely unsuccessful. AASLAC believes the Senate’s admission signals the need for a comprehensive review of the privatization process and the operations of DisCos to ensure fairness, accountability, and consumer protection.
AASLAC emphasized that only decisive legislative action can end the systemic exploitation by DisCos and restore consumer confidence in the country’s electricity sector. “We urge the National Assembly to prioritize this issue. Nigerians deserve a functional and fair electricity system, not one that subjects them to exploitation and unnecessary hardship,” the statement concluded.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to standing with Nigerian consumers, pushing for reforms, and ensuring that the prepaid metering system is used for its intended purpose: providing accurate billing and ending the reliance on estimated bills that often result in inflated charges.
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