A High Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has ordered the Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc (JEDC) to pay N700 million to nine of its customers at Wadata area as general damages and compensation.
Justice Tertsea Kume, who gave the order while delivering judgement on the case before him, identified negligence of duty and use of substandard equipment by the company to mount a transformer in the area.
The plaintiffs, including the families of Fortune, Rose Kembe and other couples, lost two children and others were permanently disfigured for life, have dragged the defendant before the Court through their Counsel, Mr Ucha Ulegede, claiming N2 billion from JED as compensation and aggregated damages.
In the judgement, Justice Kume noted that the defendants were guilty of using substandard materials at it Aloko transformer mounted in Wadata behind police barrack area of Makurdi which resulted in it collapse and rested the 11KVA high tension cable and cause partial contact thereby going extensive electrical burn to the 1st plaintiff and subsequent amputation of her right leg, while others in the area were electrocuted in 2022.
Justice Kume said the plaintiffs have proved their respective claims to warrant judgement, while the defendant officials testified without calling any witnesses in defence.