Residents of Omu-Aran in Kwara State took to the streets on Friday in a powerful protest against what they described as “crazy” electricity bills imposed by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The demonstration, led by angry youths, kicked off around 8:00 a.m. at the Bareke roundabout and spread through major parts of the town, including Olomu Market, Latinwo Area, and even the IBEDC district office inside the Omu-Aran City Complex.
The protesters held placards with bold messages such as: “Omu-Aran Say No to Band A,” “Mr. Badmus Must Go,” “Revert Us to Band C,” and “Omu-Aran Youths Have Spoken Loudly.”
Their frustration centers around the sudden shift in the community’s electricity billing from Band C to Band A — a move they claim was orchestrated by the local IBEDC manager, Mr. A.O. Badmus.
According to them, this change has caused a sharp spike in electricity bills, with many residents receiving bills between N41,000 and N47,000 in March, compared to their usual N10,000 to N15,000.
The protesters argue that it’s unfair to move the community to Band A when they are still struggling with irregular power supply and unresolved issues like faulty transformers.
In a formal statement signed by Mr. Niyi Adeyeye, President of the Omu-Aran Development Association, and Elder Ranti Adebayo, Secretary, the youths listed several demands.
These include a return to Band C, replacement of damaged transformers, improved electricity supply, and a rollback of the new charges.
The traditional ruler of the town, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, addressed the protesters at his palace, urging them to remain calm. He assured them that community leaders were already in talks with IBEDC officials to find a resolution.
Meanwhile, IBEDC’s communication officer in Kwara, Mr. Gbenga Ajiboye, explained that it was the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) that regulates billing and Band classifications.
He said that communities receiving up to 20 hours of electricity are placed in Band A, and Omu-Aran currently falls under that category.
Ajiboye referred to the matter as a business issue between provider and consumer and noted that high-level discussions are ongoing to resolve the conflict.
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