2 Sent To Prison Over Use Of Electricity Without Payment Of Monthly Bills

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

The issue of non-payment of electricity bills in Lagos State may has taken another dimension following the arrest and arraignment of two people for allegedly using IKEDC’s electricity without payment of monthly bills.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that two suspects, Lateef Awodire, 55 and Godwin Ifesinachi, 24, were charged before a Lagos Court for connecting their electric cables after being disconnected for failure to pay their monthly electricity bills.

The incident happened at Bakare and Bajomo Streets,  Ahmadiyya area of Lagos, where they reside.

The Police alleged that the offence they committed was contrary and punishable under Sections 346 and 411 of the criminal code of Lagos State having connected the light without payment of their monthly bills.

According to the residents, the staff of IKEDC has been bringing huge estimated bills in the area to the extent that the payment was not realizable and they stopped payment. 

This brought confrontation between the residents and the staff of IKEDC, who went round to disconnect cables in the affected area. But once the IKEDC staff gets through with the disconnections of the cables and leaves, they will reconnect the cables. 

The matter was reported to the Police in the area and the two offenders were arrested and subsequently charged before the Court for illegal connection while others were said to be at large. 

When they were arraigned, they pleaded not guilty. 

The prosecutor, DSP Kehinde Ajayi, asked the Court to give a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. E. Kubenije, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum. 

They were however, remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions while the matter was adjourned till 5th July, 2022, for mention.