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In the border towns of Ogun State, including Alagbole, Akute, Olambe, Onibudo, Agbado, Matogun, and other areas often seen as part of the Lagos corridor, electricity is essential for small businesses, schools, and homes. Yet, residents say they still face many problems. Ikeja Electric (IE), Nigeria’s largest distribution company, controls power in these communities.
People claim they deal with inflated bills, illegal disconnections, bribery during meter installations, and worries about how infrastructure is managed.
Paying for Darkness
The biggest complaint is estimated billing. In places where prepaid meters are hard to get, households often get bills that are higher than what they actually use. Some residents say they pay tens of thousands of naira for electricity they never received. In many communities, people in one-room apartments say they are charged the same as those in three-bedroom apartments. Investigations show that the company gives every customer the same bill each month.
A shop owner in Olambe states, “We are billed even when there is no light. Sometimes, we stay weeks without supplies, but the bills continue to arrive, often higher than before.”
Allegations of Bribery in Meter Installation
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) started the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme to stop estimated billing. Customers pay a set fee for a prepaid meter, which should make things clear and fair. However, residents say IE staff ask for extra unofficial payments before installing the meters.
“They told me if I wanted my meter quickly, I should ‘settle’ them,” claims a resident of Agbado, who had already paid the official fee, but that IE wanted more.”
Unlawful Disconnections and Forced Billing
Besides billing problems, residents accuse IE of cutting off power without reason. Some customers with prepaid meters allege they are forced to revert to estimated billing, sometimes resulting in debts of hundreds of thousands of naira.
Outside Ogun State, a resident of Adeola Estate in Lagos said IE took away working prepaid meters and gave them bills of over ₦1 million. Even after the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency ordered the company to reconnect them, residents said the company did not follow the order.
In June 2024, three customers sued IE for ₦40 million, saying the company disconnected them even though they had prepaid meters since 2019. They also accused the company of making up debts of nearly ₦1million. In Onibudo, some residents say IE gives them more than one bills.
Infrastructure Controversy: Transformer Swap and Ownership Disputes
In some Ogun communities, residents allege IE took away a 500kVA transformer and replaced it with a 200kVA one. They say the smaller transformer is now overloaded and cannot handle the community’s needs.
“We used to have a 500kVA transformer, but they took it away and gave us 200kVA,” one resident explained. “Now the transformer trips constantly, and we barely get supply. Yet the bills keep coming.”
At the time of this report, a source told TheDiggerNews that IE might try to fix its reputation by returning the 500kVA transformer that was taken from the community, after many petitions and complaints from residents.
On February 4, 2026, IEl delivered a new 500kVA transformer to the community. TheDiggerNews found that the old, faulty 500kVA transformer will be repaired and sent to another community that has a better record of paying bills.
Usually, when IE installs a new transformer, it takes a few days to get it ready before turning it on. But a source told TheDiggerNews that officials often delay this process unless they are given extra money. Sometimes, this means the transformer is not turned on for up to a week.
Community Development Associations (CDAs) say they spent a lot of money to buy their own transformers, but Ikeja Electric later claimed ownership of them once they were turned on. Residents also allege staff ask for ‘tips’ before energising these transformers, leaving communities stuck even after making big investments.
Customer Service Failures
IE has a customer service office in Akute and provides support by phone and WhatsApp. Still, residents say their complaints are often ignored.
“We go to the office, they tell us to pay first before they can listen,” said a frustrated customer in Matogun. “It appears like we are begging for what we already paid for.”
IE’s Official Position
The company denies wrongdoing, always insisting that all payments for meters must be made by official channels under the MAP scheme.
It claims disconnections are carried out only after due process and proper notice, adding customers should lodge complaints through its hotlines (0700 453 5328) or WhatsApp (+234 813 190 0000) for resolution.
It says refunds are available where overbilling has been proven, in line with NERC directives.
NERC’s Regulatory Framework
Protecting customers, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Council (NERC) issued a directive that no new customer should be connected without a meter, that arbitrary disconnections are prohibited, that proper notice and documentation are required, and that distribution companies must maintain clear complaint-handling procedures, with escalation to NERC if unresolved.
Yet enforcement remains weak. Complaints often take months to resolve, leaving residents vulnerable to disconnection and inflated bills.
Conclusion
For people living in Akute, Olambe, Onibudo, Agbado, Matogun, and other communities in the Lagos corridor, electricity now feels more like a burden than a benefit. Reports of bribery, illegal disconnections, high bills, transformer downgrades, and ownership disputes show a company that many see as lacking accountability.
IE says it follows the rules, but residents feel there is a big difference between the company’s policies and what actually happens. If regulators do not enforce stricter rules and communities do not push for change, people may keep having problems with their electricity supply.
