Lawyer threatens to sue AEDC over wrong electricity charges

An Abuja-based lawyer, Mwajim Musa, has threatened to sue the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over wrong electricity charges against his client.

In a letter addressed to AEDC dated March 13, 2019, Musa said the development has given his client sleepless nights and psychological trauma.

The lawyer said his client, Issa Mohammed, who lives in Bwari, paid for prepaid meter number: 02150778260 at the sum of N24, 832 but discovered the loss of purchased units which forced him to demand a printout of the meter.

According to the lawyer, his client was shocked to discover an indebtedness to AEDC to the tune of N187,004 “despite not having or using heavy electrical appliances.”

The lawyer said his client did not have a refrigerator.

“This infraction of the law, to wit, fraud, cheating, breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy, theft and criminal misappropriation committed by the AEDC, Bwari, Abuja against our client compelled us on our client’s behalf to seek redress from your good office,” the lawyer wrote.

However, the AEDC has in a letter dated March 14, 2019 signed by S. O. Advisory and Compliance, Tunbosun Adeboje and the General Manager Legal Services, Ephraims Akamihe, described the occurrence as “human error”, which caused the migration of an existing postpaid account of another customer to Issa Mohammed’s pre-paid meter to the tune of N187,004.56.

“The wrongful migration of another customer’s debt into your client’s pre-paid meter and subsequent deductions from the units of energy purchased by him is regretted,” the letter read.