The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Thursday sealed the corporate headquarters of Ikeja Electric at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, citing repeated non-compliance with regulatory directives and alleged violations of consumer rights.
The enforcement action was carried out in the presence of security agents and captured on video by broadcast teams, showing FCCPC officials locking the building and asking staff to vacate the premises.
FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Boladale Adeyinka, said the measure was taken under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 after several engagements and opportunities for voluntary compliance failed to yield results.
Adeyinka added that the seal will remain until Ikeja Electric provides written evidence that it has fully complied with directives issued by both the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the FCCPC.
According to the commission, NERC had issued a binding decision requiring Ikeja Electric to unbundle a single Maximum Demand account into 20 separate non-Maximum Demand accounts, recognising 19 residential units and a service point as distinct customer units and providing the required metering and connections.
FCCPC said the company failed to implement that decision, leaving the complainant without electricity for more than two and a half years despite paying all charges and meeting obligations.
The FCCPC said it first outlined required steps and timelines in April 2025 and later issued a Compliance Notice on 2 October 2025, demanding full compliance within seven business days.
When the utility did not act, the commission moved to enforce compliance by sealing its headquarters.
Ikeja Electric confirmed the development and said it is engaging the FCCPC to ensure the action does not affect customers.
Kingsley Okotie, Head of Corporate Communications at Ikeja Electric, described the sealing as enforcement of a compliance dispute and said the company had responded to the commission and was taking steps internally. He emphasised that distribution operations to consumers remained unaffected and that operational centres outside the headquarters continue to coordinate supply.
Okotie criticised the public nature of the enforcement, saying the issue could have been resolved without media involvement, but acknowledged the FCCPC’s legal authority and said the company would work to resolve the matter quickly to avoid any disruption to customers. He appealed for reasoned engagement to resolve the dispute while maintaining service continuity.
The FCCPC framed the sealing as a proportionate enforcement measure aimed at protecting consumers and enforcing regulatory decisions. The commission has indicated the seal will be lifted only after documentation proving full compliance is provided.
Source: Channels Television
