Nigeria: Ikeja Electric Warns of Deaths from Illegal Pole Work

Ikeja Electric Plc has warned customers against engaging unauthorised electricians after recent incidents resulted in deaths linked to unauthorised work on its power infrastructure, even as the company separately began refunding customers who paid for meters under its Meter Asset Provider (MAP) programme.

Olaniyi Olayiwola, Head of Quality, Health, Safety and Environment at Ikeja Electric, issued the warning during the company's September virtual stakeholder engagement, a monthly platform used to educate customers, share operational updates and address service delivery concerns.

He cautioned customers against allowing unqualified or unauthorised individuals to climb Ikeja Electric poles, work on power lines, tamper with electrical installations or carry out illegal connections, saying recent incidents had resulted in the loss of life of people attempting unauthorised electrical activity on or around the company's network.

Company urges customers to report, not intervene

"Please do not engage electricians to climb Ikeja Electric poles. If you see someone carrying out unsafe activities around our infrastructure, kindly report to us," Olayiwola said.

He advised customers not to intervene directly when they observe unsafe electrical activity, and instead to contact Ikeja Electric through its designated safety emergency channels.

Olayiwola also urged customers and communities to maintain adequate clearance around high-voltage power lines, noting that encroachment on electricity infrastructure and inadequate right-of-way remain significant safety risks.

Kingsley Okotie, Head of Corporate Communications at Ikeja Electric, said the company's engagement with customers is intended to go beyond sharing information.

"Our engagement with customers goes beyond providing information. It is about ensuring that our customers have the knowledge and channels they need to stay safe, seek assistance and get their concerns properly addressed," Okotie said.

Meter refunds also under way

The same engagement session was used to announce that Ikeja Electric has begun refunding customers who previously paid for electricity meters under the MAP programme.

Eligible customers will receive their refunds through credits applied to their vending transactions over an approved refund period.

"Customers can monitor their refund status online using their meter number or account number. The refund dashboard provides details including the meter cost, refund count, monthly refund amount, total refund received and last refund date, as well as the applicable refund token sent to the customer's registered phone number or email address," the company said in a statement.

Customers with concerns about their refunds were advised to use Ikeja Electric's official complaint channels or visit their nearest undertaking office for assistance.

Ikeja Electric did not disclose how many fatalities have occurred in connection with unauthorised electrical work on its network, nor how many customers are eligible for meter refunds, details that would help clarify the scale of both issues the company addressed during the session.