By Efe Onodjae & Faith Olayemi
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Thursday sealed the Ikeja Electric Plc office over what it described as continued and deliberate violation of consumer rights, following the company’s refusal to comply with a binding regulatory decision issued more than two years ago.
Addressing journalists during the enforcement exercise in Lagos, Engr. Idayat Olorungbe, who represented the Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Mrs. Bola Adeyinka, said the action became necessary after multiple failed attempts to compel the electricity distribution company to obey a Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) directive.
According to the Commission, NERC had ordered Ikeja Electric to unbundle a Maximum Demand (MD) account into 20 separate non-MD accounts to reflect nineteen residential units and a service point owned by a complainant. The order also required the company to meter and connect each unit appropriately. Despite repeated reminders, Ikeja Electric reportedly refused to carry out the instruction.
The prolonged non-compliance, the Commission said, left the complainant without power supply for more than 2.5 years, despite fulfilling all financial obligations demanded by the company. The blackout, it noted, rendered the nineteen residential units unusable during the period.
Olorungbe explained that the Commission had engaged Ikeja Electric over several months, including issuing a formal directive in April 2025 detailing clear compliance steps and timelines. After no action was taken, FCCPC issued a Compliance Notice on October 2, 2025, giving the company seven business days to comply. That, too, was ignored.
The Commission maintained that its action was fully backed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
Olorungbe highlighted the provisions of Sections 17, 18, 124, 150, and 155, which empower the Commission to intervene, issue directives, enforce compliance notices, and seal premises where ongoing violations cause consumer harm.
She said Ikeja Electric’s refusal to carry out a lawful regulatory decision, coupled with the prolonged denial of electricity to the affected consumer, satisfied the threshold for enforcement.
“This is a proportionate enforcement measure taken only after repeated engagement and several opportunities for voluntary compliance.
“The seal will remain until Ikeja Electric fully complies with the directives issued by both NERC and the FCCPC and provides written evidence of compliance,” she stated.
FCCPC reiterated that consumers are entitled to fair treatment, access to essential services and protection from unfair, coercive or negligent practices by service providers.
“The Commission will continue to enforce the law to protect these rights and ensure that service providers meet their obligations,” Olorungbe added.
As of press time, Ikeja Electric officials had not publicly responded to the sealing.
The enforcement exercise drew attention across Ikeja as officials of the FCCPC mounted the seal on the facility, marking one of the agency’s strongest moves yet against a power distribution company over prolonged regulatory disobedience.
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