Ibadan students kick against 7 weeks electricity disconnection

Community leaders from Apete, Awotan, Araromi, Akufo and Ajibode and other neighboring communities in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital have kicked against seven weeks blackout in the communities.

The communities lamented that disconnection of electricity by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, in the last seven weeks has caused a lot of damages to the affected communities.

Some members of the affected communities had on Saturday, staged a peaceful protest over erratic supply of electricity in the communities.

The protest made the electricity company to disconnect the communities from the national grid but the communities have now taken to the press to kick against the apparent punishmnet and total blackout

While addressing the press on Thursday in Awotan, President of Ajibode, Apete, Awotan, Araromi and Environs Community Development Association, Rasaki Fabayo and Secretary, Mr Ademuyiwa Oluwole calimed that the IBEDC has shut down its Apete office, cutting off the only access point for residents to lodge complaints, resolve billing issues and engage with their officials.

The spokespersons demanded immediate reconnection of power supply to the affected communities, urging the IBEDC to re-open its Apete office, to resume services and restore customer access.

They called for sanctions and regulatory penalties on the erring officers and responsible units to serve as deterrent to similar abuses in future.

The communities also called for immediate cessation of selective connection and diversion of the NIPP feeder to privileged individuals to the detriment of the larger community.

“On 14th April, 2025, members of our community, acting within their constitutional rights, staged a peaceful protest to the IBEDC office in Apete. This protest was conducted in the full presence and protection of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The protest was peaceful, orderly, and focused solely on registering our long-standing grievances over epileptic power supply and lack of service delivery by IBEDC for several years, despite the community’s consistent payments and numerous written complaints.

“Instead of addressing the issues raised, IBEDC responded in the most draconian and retaliatory manner: they disconnected the entire Ajibode – Apete, Awotan, Araromi and Environs from electricity supply, throwing thousands of homes, businesses, and students – especially from the University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan – into darkness. They shut down their Apete office, thereby cutting off the only access point for our residents to lodge complaints, resolve billing issues, and engage with their officials. Most disturbingly, they began to spread false claims in the media and public spaces that their office was closed due to threats to the lives of their staff. We state emphatically and for the record that: There was no violence. There was no threat. There was no attack. The protest was peaceful, monitored by security agencies, and marked by civility.

“We are here to make the following demands: Immediate reconnection of power supply to the entire Ajibode, Apete, Awotan, Araromi and Environs. Public retraction of the false claims of threats against IBEDC staff. Reopening of the IBEDC Apete office, to resume services and restore customer access. A full investigation into the actions of the IBEDC Apete officials responsible for the disconnection. Sanctions and regulatory penalties to be imposed on the erring officers and the undertaking unit, to serve as deterrent to similar abuses in future. Completion and activation of the NIPP infrastructure for the benefit of the entire Ajibode, Apete, Awotan, Araromi and Environs as originally intended.

“Immediate cessation of selective connection and diversion of the NIPP feeder to privileged individuals to the detriment of the larger community. A structured stakeholders’ dialogue between IBEDC leadership and representatives of the Ajibode , Apete, Awotan, Araromi and Environs to address the root causes of the crisis. We urge all regulatory bodies, especially the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Honourable Minister of Power, to take urgent steps to investigate this matter and hold IBEDC accountable”.