News
CHEATERS: How DisCos Over-bill Customers By N105bn In 9 Months

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has imposed a N10.5 billion fine on electricity distribution companies, DisCos, for over billion customers without meters to the tune of 105.05 billion in the first nine months of 2023.
The Commission in separate Orders issued to the DisCos on Friday said the utilities were in breach of an Order it issued in 2020 on capping of electricity billed to unmetered customers by the DisCos.
A selected check on the orders showed that Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, over-billed its customers without meters to the tune of N17.874 billion while Eko Distribution Company, EKEDC, over-billed its unmetered customers by N13.137 billion.
Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, over-billed its customers without meter by N14.187 billion with Kaduna Electric over-billing its customers by N1.145 billion.
NERC ordered the DisCos to refund the cheated customers in full and to ensure compliance in the future. To deter future occurrence, it imposed a 10 percent fine on the utilities.
The Commission explained that “The public may recall that in 2020, the Commission issued the Order on Capping of Estimated Bills (Order No: NERC/197/2020) and subsequently issued monthly energy caps which aimed to align the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder.
“A review of the Electricity Distribution Companies billing of unmetered customers for 2023 has revealed non-compliance with the monthly energy caps issued by the Commission.
“In response to this and in a bid to safeguard unmetered customers from arbitrary billing by DisCos, the Commission, pursuant to Section 34(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 2023 (“EA 2023”), has issued the Order on Non-Compliance with Capping of Estimated Bills (Order No: NERC/2024/004-014) which stipulates the following: “Credit Adjustment to Customers: DisCos are to issue credit adjustments to all overbilled unmetered customers for the period January to September 2023 by the March 2024 billing cycle.
“Public Notice: DisCos have been directed to publish the list of credit adjustment beneficiaries in two national dailies and on their website no later than 31st March 2024.
“Regulatory Sanctions: The Commission shall deduct a sum of N10,505,286,072 from the annual allowed revenues of the eleven (11) DisCos during the next tariff review, to deter future non-compliance with the energy caps approved by the Commission”.
Specifically, for Eko DisCo, the Commission said: “To forestall further non-compliance, a deduction of N1,413,766,176 which is equivalent to 10% of the Naira value of the total over-billing for the period January – September 2023 shall be applied to EKEDC’s annual OpEx over a rolling 12-month period during the next tariff review.
“Notwithstanding the provisions of section (11B)(i), and pursuant to the provision of section 34(2)(f) of the EA 2023, the Commission may deduct a greater percentage of the total over-billing from EKEDC’s admin OPEX where a non-compliance with capping Orders persists”.
News
Just in: Finally, opposition leaders adopt ADA as coalition platform

Opposition leaders under the aegis of Coalition Movement have adopted the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), and applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register as a party ahead of the 2027 election.
The coalition’s application letter addressed to INEC chairman and dated June 19 was co-signed by the National Chairman of ADA, Chief Akin Ricketts and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Musa Elayo.
The letter which was stamped received by the office of the INEC chairman on June 20, 2025, was titled: “Application for registration as a political party” with ADA name and flag.
“We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance as a political party.
This is sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration,” the letter read.
Details shortly…
News
England goalie, Keating gets clean bill over nitrous oxide charges

A court case against England goalkeeper Khiara Keating has been dropped nearly a year after she pleaded not guilty to possessing canisters of nitrous oxide.
The 20-year-old Manchester City goalkeeper was charged with possession of a Class C drug on 18 June last year after an investigation by Greater Manchester Police.
In July, Keating appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court alongside her mother Nicola Keating, 48, who also denied the same offence, and both were granted unconditional bail.
Greater Manchester Police has confirmed the case has been discontinued.
In a statement given exclusively to BBC Sport, Keating said: “I’m relieved the charges have been dropped. As I’ve always said, I did nothing wrong.
“It’s been a difficult time, but I’ve always known the truth. Now I’m just looking forward to focusing fully on the Euros and spending time with my family.”
Nitrous oxide was made a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in November 2023.
Possession with the intention of wrongfully inhaling it for a psychoactive effect became an offence, but it is still possible to use the gas for legitimate reasons, such as in catering or pain relief during labour.
Keating has not made an appearance for England’s senior team yet but is part of the 23-player squad selected to compete at Euro 2025 next month.
She became the youngest player to win the Women’s Super League Golden Glove award last year, after keeping nine clean sheets in 22 league games.
News
Appeal Court throws out APC’s case, affirms PDP’s victories in Osun council polls

The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), affirming the legitimacy of the February 2025 local government elections in Osun State.
The judgement, delivered on Friday, 13 June 2025, upheld the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its elected Chairmen and Councillors.
The panel of justices — Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Peter Chudi Obiorah, and Hadiza Rabiu Shagari — held that the appeal lacked merit, had been overtaken by events, and constituted a mere academic exercise.
The suit, numbered CA/AK/15/2025, was filed by the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Babatunde Nurudeen Idowu, and the APC against the Action Peoples Party (APP), INEC, OSSIEC, APGA, and Prince Adegboye Famodun.
Justice Omoleye ruled, “Critically, this Court had earlier delivered judgment on 10th February 2025 in Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022, involving basically the same parties and addressing substantially the same issues.
“The said appeal has been dismissed. What is more, the fresh Local Government elections conducted on 22nd February 2025 and the swearing-in of new Chairmen and Councillors have overtaken the substratum of this dispute. Relisting the appeal at this stage would serve no practical purpose.”
She added, “In sum, this application is not only procedurally incompetent and factually unsupported, it is also one rendered otiose by subsequent events. There is no longer any live controversy.
“The matter is, in every material sense, a fait accompli, “I therefore also dismiss the application.”
Justice Obiorah, in a concurring judgement, declared, “Of course, the dismissal of the appeal means that there being no existing appeal against the judgment of the lower court, the said judgment stands as the authority defining the state of affairs as it regards the status of the officers of the various Local Government Councils in Osun State.”
He also addressed the issue of contempt, saying, “However, the issue of violation of the orders of the lower court and the alleged contempt is the 3a Respondent/Applicant’s interpretation of the action of the 3d Appellant/Respondent with respect to their treatment of the judgment of the lower court, particularly after the dismissal of their appeal by this Court on 13/1/2025.
“The said contempt is ex-facie curiae. In INEC & ANOR v. OGUEBEGO & ORS (2017) LPELR-42609(SC) (Pp. 10-12 paras. F), the highly revered and cerebral, Chima Centus Nweze, JSC (of blessed memory) stated.”
Reacting to the judgment in an X post, PDP welcomed the ruling, describing it as a confirmation of the people’s mandate and a defeat for political desperation.
The party said the Certified True Copy of the ruling had “affirmed that the Court has dismissed APC’s appeal and affirmed Chairmen and Councillors elected in the 2025 Local Government Election as the duly elected council officials in Osun State.”
“The Presiding Judge, Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye in her ruling stated that since a fresh election has been conducted and new Chairmen and Councillors have been sworn in, there is no controversy anymore,” PDP added.
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