Section 225 Electricity Act 2023
Section 225 of the Electricity Act 2023 is about Power of the licensee to enter premises and to remove fittings or other apparatuses of the licensee. It is under Part XXI (Miscellaneous and Supplementary Provisions) of the Act.
(1) A licensee, franchisee or permit holder or any person duly authorised to act on his behalf in a license may, at any reasonable time, and on informing the occupier of his intention, enter any premises to which electricity is, or has been, supplied by him, of any premises or land, under, over, along, across, in or on which the electric supply-lines or other vorks have been lawfully placed by him for the purpose of —
(a) inspecting, testing, repairing or altering the electric supply-lines, meters, fittings, works and apparatus for the supply of electricity belonging to the licensee franchisee or permit holder,
(b) ascertaining the amount of electricity supplied or the electrical quantity contained in the supply; or
(c) removing where a supply of electricity is no longer required, or where the licensee franchisee or permit holder, is authorised to take away and cut off such supply, any electric supply-lines, meters, fittings, works or apparatus belonging to the licensee.
(2) A licensee franchisee or permit holder or any person authorised may also, under a special order in this behalf made by the Tribunal and after giving at least 24 hours’ notice in writing to the occupier —
(a) enter any premises or land referred to in subsection (1) for any of the purposes mentioned in it; or
(b) enter any premises to which electricity is to be supplied by him, for the purpose of examining and testing the electric wires fittings, works and apparatus for the use of electricity belonging to the consumer.
(3) Where a consumer refises to allow a licensee, franchisee or permit holder or any person authorised to enter his premises or land under the provisions of subsections (1) and (2), or when such licensee, franchisee or permit holder or person has so entered, refuses to allow him to perform any act which he is authorised by those subsections to perform, or fails to give reasonable facilities for such entry or performance, the licensee may, after the expiry of 24 hours from the service of a notice in writing on the consumer, cut off the supply to the consumer for so long as such refusal or failure continues, but for no longer.
(4) Anyone who physically attacks a staff of a licensee or permit holder in the course of discharging his lawful duties under the provisions of this Act, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine which may extend up to N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term which may extent up to six months or both.
(5) Where the physical attack in subsection (4) results in permanent disability or death of the victim, the offender shall be accordingly prosecuted under the Penal Code or the Criminal Code, as the case may be.
