After five days of agonising, unexplained darkness, power has finally been restored to the residents of Badikko community in Kaduna. The reconnection, however, has done little to ease the intense scrutiny on the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO), which is now facing major allegations of systematic fraud and regulatory abuse, leaving the community financially besieged.
The electricity was restored following intense pressure stemming from the community’s petition to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and growing media attention. Yet, the core crisis—a sophisticated dual scheme involving the overcharging of both metered and unmetered customers—remains fully unresolved, transforming the community from a victim of blackout into a symbol of consumer resistance against utility impunity.
The investigation reveals that while power flows, the billing remains deceptive. Badikko is officially classified under Band B of NERC’s Service-Based Tariff (SBT), which guarantees a subsidized rate for a minimum of 16 hours of daily supply. In stark contrast, metered residents report paying approximately ₦209 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for tokens. This rate aligns precisely with the exclusive Band A tariff (currently ₦209.50/kWh for KAEDCO) , which is reserved only for customers guaranteed 20 hours of power. In reality, supply in Badikko averages between six to eight hours daily.
KAEDCO itself confirmed that the rates for Bands B, C, D, and E remain unchanged (frozen at a subsidized rate), making the decision to charge Band B customers the cost-reflective Band A tariff an illegal “tariff migration”.
“They have brought back the light, but they have not brought back justice,” said Malam Ahmed, a tailor and metered customer. “The restoration is a temporary fix. The real issue is that for months, I have been buying tokens at the highest rate in Nigeria for a service that is barely present. This is calculated exploitation, and we demand every kobo back.”
The injustice deepens for unmetered customers, who describe their estimated bills as a form of economic violence. Reports of monthly charges ranging from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000 are common, figures that blatantly and grossly violate NERC’s Order on Capping of Estimated Bills. This regulation was specifically designed to prevent such predation by setting a maximum consumption cap for which unmetered customers may be charged.
“How do you explain a bill that is higher than my annual rent for a service that is not there?” asked Mrs. Grace Okonkwo, a shop owner. “The reconnection is not the victory. The victory will be when these fictional, soul-crushing bills are cancelled and we are compensated for this theft.”
The community’s stance has hardened. The Concerned Elders of Badikko Community, having formally escalated their grievance to the NERC Kaduna Forum Office , are demanding urgent, punitive measures against KAEDCO.
Their demands, as outlined in the original petition signed by Chairman Imam Ahmad Yusuf and Secretary Idris Ishaq Idris, are now sharply focused on financial redress:
NERC must mandate KAEDCO to issue full retrospective credit adjustments for every metered customer who was illegally charged the Band A rate.
NERC must order KAEDCO to issue credit adjustments to all unmetered customers billed above the legal cap, ensuring reconciliation of all estimated bills between ₦70,000 and ₦100,000.
The Elders are demanding that NERC impose severe financial penalties on KAEDCO to compel compliance. The DisCo was previously sanctioned in early 2024 for persistent non-compliance with the Capping Order, leading to a required adjustment and deduction of over ₦1.14 billion. That this pattern of abuse persists in Badikko suggests a troubling culture of recidivism, where penalties are treated merely as a minor cost of business.
“The restoration of supply is the easiest part for the DisCo,” noted energy analyst Dr. Tope Adebayo. “The true measure of regulatory effectiveness is whether NERC can now enforce accountability for the financial harm inflicted. If there are no severe consequences for this systematic over-billing—beyond a simple re-connection—it will signal to every other DisCo that customer exploitation is a profitable, low-risk venture.”
As life in Badikko returns to a fragile normalcy, the community’s fight has entered a new phase. The battle is no longer for light, but for legality, fairness, and the principle that a public utility should serve, not plunder, the people it was created to serve. All eyes are now on NERC to see if its authority can translate into tangible justice for the residents of Badikko.
* Ishaq Idris Ishaq writes from 25 Badikko Close, Kaduna
