FCCPC Shuts Ikeja Electric Office Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Thursday sealed the premises of the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) in the Alausa area of Lagos over alleged violations of consumer rights and failure to comply with regulatory directives.

The enforcement action followed prolonged efforts by regulators to secure the company’s cooperation on a metering and service-related dispute.

FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Bola Adeyinka, said the decision was taken in line with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 after repeated engagement with the distribution company.

She noted that the shutdown became necessary after Ikeja Electric failed to comply with binding instructions issued by both the FCCPC and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

According to the Commission, NERC had previously directed Ikeja Electric to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 separate non-Maximum Demand accounts to reflect 19 residential units and one service point belonging to a complainant.

The directive also required the company to provide appropriate metering and connection for each unit.

The FCCPC stated that Ikeja Electric did not carry out the regulatory order, resulting in the complainant being without electricity supply for more than two and a half years despite fulfilling all payment obligations.

The prolonged disconnection has reportedly prevented the property owner from putting the 19 residential apartments into use.

Adeyinka said the seal on the facility will remain in place until the distribution company fully complies with all regulatory directives and provides written evidence of compliance to both agencies. She emphasised that the measure was a proportionate enforcement step taken only after multiple opportunities for voluntary compliance were ignored.

The FCCPC reiterated its commitment to enforcing consumer protection laws and ensuring that electricity distribution companies uphold their obligations to customers across the country.