Residents of Omu-Aran, a community in Kwara State’s Irepodun Local Government Area, took to the streets in protest on Friday, led by traditional masquerades, over contentious electricity billing issues.
The protest centered around the sudden reclassification of their community’s electricity billing from Band C to Band A, resulting in significantly increased bills for March 2025.
Protesters, adorned in traditional attire alongside placards bearing messages such as ‘Omu-Aran Says No to Band A’ and ‘Bring Us Back to Band C’, gathered at Bareke Roundabout amidst chants and traditional war songs.
According to the demonstrators, the shift to Band A tariffs led to March bills soaring to as much as N47,000, up from the previous N10,000 to N15,000 range.
They highlighted long standing issues with inconsistent electricity supply and demanded the replacement of faulty transformers across key areas of Omu-Aran.
The protest spilled over to major community thoroughfares including Olomu Market and Latinwo Market Area, and also obstructed highways to neighboring states like the Omu-Aran-Kabba and Omu-Aran-Otun-Ekiti routes.
Motorists faced significant delays as protesters vowed to maintain their stance until demands were met by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and local authorities.
In response, Niyi Adeyeye, President of Omu-Aran Development Association, articulated the community’s grievances, emphasizing the urgent need for IBEDC to suspend Band A billing, revert to Band C tariffs, and improve service delivery.
The Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, welcomed protesters to his palace, urging calm as community leaders engaged with IBEDC officials to resolve the escalating tensions.
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