NASS urged to end DisCos’ extortion, prepaid meter abuse
The National Assembly (NASS) has been called upon to leverage its oversight powers to address widespread extortion by Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and protect Nigerian consumers from exploitative billing practices.
The Africa Anti-Slavery Coalition (AASLAC) made this appeal, urging NASS to hold a public hearing in Lagos to investigate fraudulent billing systems and the mismanagement of prepaid meters.
In a statement released by its Convener, Tony Masha, AASLAC condemned the exploitation of consumers through prepaid metering, which was initially introduced to ensure fairness by allowing users to pay for only what they consume. Instead, Masha said, the system has become a tool for extortion.
He noted, “In most parts of Lagos, DisCos lure unsuspecting consumers to fill out forms for prepaid meters, and once this is done, bills begin to accumulate—whether the meters are installed or not. Consumers are trapped by this fraudulent method, accumulating debts running into hundreds of thousands of Naira for meters that were never installed or connected. This is very unfortunate and must stop.”
The group highlighted several troubling cases of abuse by DisCos. For instance, in the Gbagada area of Lagos, under Ikeja Electric, prepaid meters for an entire compound were removed without prior notice. The residents later discovered they were being asked to pay over N367,000 for a meter applied for two years earlier to power a borehole—one that was never delivered or installed. Despite repeated complaints to Ikeja Electric, the issue remained unresolved.
In another case, two buildings—18A and 18B—on the same street were disconnected because of unpaid bills by one or two occupants in one building. Similarly, a landlord in Ojota reported his property being disconnected without notice due to a tenant’s estimated billing arrears, even though he was absent.
One particularly concerning example involved a buyer who renovated a dilapidated property in Gbagada. The buyer was forced to pay N500,000 to Ikeja Electric due to outstanding bills left unpaid by the property’s former occupants.
The coalition also criticized Eko Electric for its failure to supply prepaid meters to customers who had paid for them as far back as one or two years earlier. Instead, these customers continue receiving inflated estimated bills and are now being asked to pay additional fees for meters they already purchased.
“This extortion is even worse during the festive period,” the statement read.
AASLAC urged NASS to conduct undercover visits to DisCos’ offices in Lagos to witness firsthand how citizens are mistreated by company officials. Masha described these officials as acting “like demi-gods,”exploiting consumers with impunity.
The coalition also welcomed the Senate’s recent admission that the 2013 privatization of Nigeria’s power sector was a failure and called for urgent reform.
“As part of this sanitization process, the National Assembly must visit DisCos’ offices across the country and listen to the tales of suffering, extortion, and humiliation endured by Nigerians at the hands of electricity company officials,”* the statement concluded.
AASLAC emphasized that these systemic abuses must end to restore fairness and dignity to electricity consumers across the country.
