Fresh allegations have surfaced against Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) following the restoration of electricity supply in Benue State, with critics accusing the company of overbilling, arbitrary disconnections, and political sabotage.
According to Benue State Government officials, JEDC is highly profit-oriented and has been unjustly disconnecting the entire state from the national grid due to the alleged offence of a single individual. The company is said to have focused heavily on revenue collection while ignoring the plight of ordinary citizens.
Benue State Government has attached evidence of a leaked WhatsApp chat in which the JEDC manager, Matthew Agbata, a card-carrying member of the PDP, allegedly directed technical directors to disconnect the entire state from the power supply.
The administration has further detailed several areas of concern, including:
– Misinformation on outstanding debts, claiming the total bill owed by the Benue State Government and all its MDAs as of September 2026 was less than ₦300 billion, making Benue the least indebted state government to any distribution company in Nigeria.
– Zero capital investment in power infrastructure by JEDC in Benue State, yet unilateral migration of most customers to Band A tariffs without corresponding services.
– Arbitrary disconnection of government facilities such as the State Secretariat, Radio Benue, Water Board and others at irregular intervals without the 15 days prior notice required by NERC.
– Allegations of systemic overbilling, unauthorised grid disruptions, and failure to meet Band A service thresholds of 20 hours daily supply.
– Refutation of meter tampering claims at Government House, where meters installed prior to the current administration were sealed with traceable numbers accessible only to JEDC personnel.
The Benue State Government has condemned the actions as economic sabotage and unfair exploitation of citizens, stating that the people will not tolerate such practices. The administration maintains that it has consistently pursued amicable and administrative resolution channels while gathering concrete evidence to hold JEDC accountable through legal and regulatory means.
As power supply returns to Benue State, the government has urged JEDC and the electricity workers’ union to act in the interest of the people and has promised to provide necessary assurances for safe operations.
