Human and vehicular traffic was suspended for many hours on Monday as people of the Idokpa Community in Aduduwawa barricaded a major route leading into and out of Benin, Edo State.
Residents barricaded the bypass in protest at the community’s weeks-long power outage, causing hours of traffic.
Travelers heading to various regions of the North were also stranded, as demonstrators refused to clear the route until government officials and media representatives arrived to address them.
A resident named Doris told newsmen that the outage had a negative impact on their companies and that the demonstration was intended to attract attention to their situation.
She accused Benin Electricity Distribution Company of diverting power intended for the neighborhood to another area.
“What is most painful is that the next community has a steady power supply,” she told me.
She urged BEDC to restore power, saying that the citizens’ suffering was becoming unbearable.
“We are protesting because of the power outage that has crippled our businesses. We are sure that blocking the road will bring attention to our plight.
“We are aware that the power supposed to be given to our community has been diverted to other places, and this is not acceptable. We call on BEDC to reverse this,” she said.
Another resident, simply identified as Gideon, said the road would remain blocked until top government officials addressed the community and the media covered their grievances.
“We cannot continue to live in darkness while others enjoy electricity,” he noted.
Hassan, a traveler on his way to Kaduna, claimed to have spent the entire day trapped on the road.
He criticized the timing of the demonstration and urged neighbors to open the route so that long-distance travelers may continue their journey.
A BEDC official told reporters over the phone on Monday that the outage was not planned.
The official added that the disturbance was caused by a scarcity of the gas used to create energy.
“The power outage being experienced in some parts of Edo is not deliberate; it is due to a shortage of gas used to generate power,” the official stated.
