A Federal High Court in Lagos declared the upward review of tariff by the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) illegal and directed a reversal to the status quo. The trial judge, Mohammed Idris, also restrained the agency from further increasing the tariff except in strict compliance with provisions of the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act 2004 (EPSRA).
In the landmark judgment, Justice Idris awarded N50,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the plaintiff. A lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Toluwani Adebiyi, had filed the suit, challenging the hike in electricity tariff.
The plaintiff, in the substantive suit had sought an order restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of tariff without a significant improvement in power supply. He also prayed for an order restraining NERC from foisting compulsory service levy on pre-paid meters, until they are designed to read charges per second of consumption.
