The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) office in the Alausa area of Lagos for violating consumer rights and persistent non-compliance with regulatory directives.
The enforcement action on Thursday follows months of failed efforts by both the Tunji Bello-led FCCPC and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to secure the company’s cooperation regarding a metering and service-related dispute affecting a consumer.
Speaking during the operation, FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Bola Adeyinka, said the decision was taken in accordance with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 after repeated engagements with the distribution company yielded no meaningful results.
According to Adeyinka, Ikeja Electric failed to comply with binding instructions issued separately by the FCCPC and NERC, despite having multiple opportunities to do so.
NERC had directed IKEDC to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 non-Maximum Demand accounts — 19 for residential units and one for a service point — belonging to a complainant. The directive also mandated the company to ensure appropriate metering and proper connection for each unit.
However, regulators say the company did not implement the order, leaving the affected property without electricity for more than two-and-a-half years, despite the complainant fulfilling all financial obligations. The prolonged outage has reportedly hindered the use of the 19 residential apartments.
Adeyinka noted that the sealed premises will remain inaccessible until IKEDC fully complies with all regulatory directives and provides written confirmation of compliance to both agencies. She stressed that the enforcement was a proportionate step taken only after several opportunities for voluntary compliance were ignored.
The FCCPC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting consumer rights and ensuring that electricity distribution companies across the country meet their obligations to customers without discrimination or delay.
