A Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court has adjourned a case of alleged illegal and malicious disconnection of electricity supply against two staff of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), James Olayemi and Lameed Obadaki to September 29.
The case which was first mentioned on July 28, was filed by Surveyor Dennis Osanwuta, a management staff of 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, O.C. King Esq, 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.
He told the court that after exploring all the processes involved to solve the matter amicably failed, he decided to seek justice through the law court.
Osanwuta prayed to the Chief Magistrate Court to compel the defendants to reconnect his electricity prayed that AEDC should tender a letter of apology and pay for the illegal disconnection and the inconveniences caused him by the action of the defendants.
The counsel to the defendants C.P. Ocheja while cross examining the complainant 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 undertaken 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 to the 29th of September for further hearing.
