A High Court sitting in Owerri has awarded a cost of one hundred thousand Naira [N100,000.00] against the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company [EEDC], and dismissed their preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court in Suit No. HOW/62/2024 which was filed by Ike Augustine, Esq. and Hon. Vitalis Opara.
The Court presided over by Honourable Justice L.C. Azuama, in its ruling dismissing the objection yesterday the 7th day of November 2024, held that the objection by EEDC was frivolous and lacking in merit.
Ike Augustine, Esq. (a lawyer and member of NBA Owerri) with his co-defendant (Vitalis Opara) had filed an action against EEDC as the 1st defendant, and Mr. Tochukwu (a hired EEDC thug) as the 2nd defendant allegedly used by the 1st Defendant for the purpose of the illegal disconnection of the Plaintiffs’ premises.
The kernel of the case of the plaintiffs was that they had written to the Customer Complaint Unit of the EEDC, complaining about their outrageous and exorbitant estimated bills, and requested for pre-paid meters.
After receiving the letter, the 1st Defendant stopped issuing monthly bills to the plaintiffs, who thought it was in a bid to address the issues raised in their letter.
Rather than address the demands of the plaintiffs, the defendants inexplicably disconnected the entire neighbourhood from their feeder and transformer source on the 17th day of January 2024, even when the plaintiffs and other residents have been solely responsible for the procurement and maintenance of their transformer on numerous ocassions when it had damaged.
The plaintiffs further averred that on the 19th day of January 2024, the defendants stormed their residence together with other hired thugs and disconnected the plaintiffs’ residence, without service of any disconnection notice on them. The Defendants also cut off the wires supplying the energy.
When the plaintiffs tried to ask the defendants under what authority they were acting, especially bearing in mind their pending complaints, the plaintiffs were severely attacked and assaulted by the 2nd Defendant.
In the course of the assault, the 2nd defendant broke the lens of 1st plaintiff’s medicated glasses, boasting that he was a cult member, and would come for the plaintiffs and their family members subsequently.
In filing their statement of defence, the Defendants challenged the jurisdiction of the court by way of a preliminary objection.
The matter was adjourned to 19th day of December 2024 for Pretrial Conference.
