Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (BEDC) has been dragged before an Oredo Magistrate Court, in Benin, by an electricity consumer, Mr. Portly Giwa-Osagie, for allegedly disconnecting the four pre-paid metres in his house.

Joined in the suit are the Business Manager, BEDC GRA, (Benin-City Sub Office); Manager, Customers Service; Auditor BEDC headquarters and three others.

The plaintiff wants the Court to declare that the BEDC is a monopoly in the provision or distribution of electricity in Edo State of Nigeria and providers of essential services to the plaintiff and his tenants.

In the charge sheet, the plaintiff is asking the court for “a declaration that the defendants are liable to pay damages to the plaintiff for the four metres which they unlawfully disconnected from the plaintiff’s premises;

“An order on the defendants to restore light to the plaintiff at No. 19, Ugiayugbo Street and to pay the penalty per day for failure to do so for each metre from the 22/11/2016 till they are reconnected.”

The plaintiff also wants the Court to compel the defendants to pay him the sum of N644,000,00 at N1000 per day as Special Damages for each metre as penalty per day until they are reconnected.

He wants the defendants to “pay him general damages of N9,356,000.00 for unlawful disconnection (even while NERC hearing were on, the defendants went into the premises to disconnect, went to Police and did other things to further harass the plaintiff), thus bringing the total damages to N10,000,000.00.”