Landlord drags tenant to court over alleged AEDC meter bypass, unpaid utility bills
A landlord, Mr. Ayuba Kewa, on Thursday filed a suit before a Senior Magistrates’ Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, seeking the recovery of his property and payment of alleged outstanding electricity bills against his tenant, Mr. Lawrence Onoja, over claims of electricity meter bypass and rent-related disputes.
Kewa, through his counsel, Mr. Sunday Manchi, told the court that the defendant allegedly tampered with a prepaid meter installed on the premises and accumulated unpaid utility charges while still occupying the property.
He is also asking the court for an order to recover possession of the residential property located at Plot 330/331, Doma Loop, opposite Kopda Office, Abacha Road, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to the claimant, Onoja entered into a written tenancy agreement dated Jan. 25, 2025, at an annual rent of N600,000.
During proceedings, the plaintiff alleged that before the expiration of the tenancy, the defendant bypassed the prepaid meter connected to the premises, in violation of the tenancy agreement, leading to accumulated electricity charges of N237,799.32.
Kewa further told the court that he was alerted after the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (Abuja Electricity Distribution Company) disconnected power to the building, and investigations reportedly revealed that the tenant had bypassed the meter.
He also claimed that the defendant failed to settle the outstanding bill despite repeated demands, adding that another tenant in the same building had also been indebted but later fulfilled payment obligations.
According to him, the defendant also attempted to renew rent payments shortly before the expiration of the tenancy, which he said was invalid due to a prior notice of termination.
The plaintiff’s counsel told the court that a six-month Notice to Quit dated July 11, 2025, and a seven-day notice dated Jan. 26, 2026, were served on the defendant, indicating intention to recover possession of the property.
However, counsel to the defendant, Mr. Edache Felix, challenged the evidence presented, arguing that the document purportedly linked to AEDC lacked proper authentication, including signatures or official stamps.
He also contended that no formal request had been made for AEDC to produce the original document, describing the evidence as insufficient to meet the standard required by the court.
The claimant is seeking an order for immediate possession of the property, payment of the alleged outstanding N237,799.32 electricity charges, and N200,000 in litigation costs.
After hearing submissions, the presiding magistrate, Joy Faruk, adjourned the matter until June 8, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination.
