Outrage in USO Community as Residents Accuse BEDC Agents of Selling Free Electricity Meters, call for probe
Outrage in USO Community as Residents Accuse BEDC Agents of Selling Free Electricity Meters, call for probe
Residents and particularly the youths of USO community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State have raised alarm over the alleged illegal sale of prepaid electricity meters that were believed to be part of a free government metering initiative.
The youths are now calling on the government and relevant regulatory authorities to urgently investigate the matter.
According to complaints shared by residents, individuals who reportedly presented themselves as representatives connected to electricity authorities began distributing and installing prepaid meters in the community on December 12, 2025, charging households as much as ₦80,000 per meter. Many residents said they paid the amount under the belief that the process was officially approved.
Community members later became suspicious after learning that similar metering schemes had been described elsewhere as free or government subsidized.
The situation reportedly became more concerning when the same individuals allegedly returned at a later date demanding different amounts including ₦65,000 and ₦40,000 from other residents totaling about seventeen million Naira (17,000,000) has been illegally raked so far, with no clear explanation for the price differences.
Residents say the payments have placed a heavy financial burden on families already facing economic hardship.
Some households reportedly borrowed money or made significant sacrifices to afford the meters, believing the charges were legitimate and government backed.
Beyond the financial strain, community members fear the situation may point to a broader problem that requires official attention. They worry that if the individuals involved were not properly authorized, it could be a case of impersonation or fraud.
On the other hand, if any insiders were involved, residents say it raises serious concerns about oversight and accountability within the system. There are also fears that installations carried out outside proper procedures could pose technical and safety risks.
The community insists that prepaid meter programmes are meant to protect electricity consumers from estimated billing and unfair charges, not become another avenue for exploitation.
They warn that incidents like this could erode public trust in government backed power sector reforms and discourage people from participating in future programmes.
According to report, one of the meter installed carries debt amount to about 20.150m, each meter installed are programmed or mortgage with debt ranging from 5m – 20m on a new prepaid meter.
This is strange and absurd ,it’s on the contrary the position of federal government on estimated bill was that the estimated bill remains illegal and should be cancelled outrightly we were surprised seeing the transfer of such estimated balance on a new meter supply by the federal government to checkmate estimated bill.
A sawmill Engineer that spoke on the condition of anonymity said an estimated bill of 20.150million was illegally transferred to a new meter paid 70,000 naira for within 7days.
Residents are therefore appealing to the Ondo State Government, the Ministry of Energy, electricity regulators, and other relevant agencies to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation.
They want authorities to verify whether the payments collected were lawful, identify anyone found culpable, ensure accountability where necessary, and provide relief to affected households if wrongdoing is established.
Community leaders say their demand is driven by the need for fairness, transparency, and protection for ordinary citizens who simply want reliable and properly regulated access to electricity, and also urging the ondo commissioner of police to help recover the money and charge culprit to court for the sake of justice
