A pair of masqueraders led a significant gathering of young people in Omu-Aran, located within the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, to protest against what they termed an intolerable increase in electricity tariffs and the abrupt reclassification of the community’s electricity supply from Band C to Band A.
The demonstrators, equipped with placards and chanting spirited songs, assembled at Bareke Roundabout before marching through the main streets of the town.
Their placards displayed messages like “Omu-Aran Rejects Band A,” “Return Us to Band C,” and “Omu-Aran Youths Have Made Their Voices Heard,” showcasing the community’s decisive opposition to the newly imposed billing category. The protesters claimed the sudden transition to Band A had led to a significant rise in electricity bills for March 2025, with reports of some residents facing charges ranging from N41,000 to N47,000, in stark contrast to past bills that averaged between N10,000 and N15,000.
The young individuals voiced their dissatisfaction over the changes that took place despite ongoing issues with electricity supply throughout various sectors of the community. They claimed that numerous areas continued to experience irregular power disruptions and that some transformers were either malfunctioning or entirely non-functional. The group declined police protection and the presence of security forces during the demonstration, which they maintained was non-violent.
The protest spread across several significant sites, including Olomu Market, Latinwo Market, the Olomu palace, and the district office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) situated in the Omu-Aran City Complex. Demonstrators also obstructed major routes linking the town to neighboring states, such as the Omu-Aran-Kabba and Omu-Aran-Otun-Ekiti highways, resulting in many drivers and travelers being stuck for hours.
In a declaration endorsed by Niyi Adeyeye, the President of the Omu-Aran Development Association, the demonstrators articulated a series of demands. These included a prompt reversion to the former Band C billing classification, halting Band A tariffs, and reassessing the recent charges to correspond with the community’s genuine electricity usage. Additional requests involved the replacement of malfunctioning transformers, ending the practice of consumer-financed repairs for electricity infrastructure, and a thorough independent review of IBEDC’s service provision in the region.
The Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, spoke to the demonstrators at his palace, encouraging them to stay composed.
He reassured them that local leaders were actively negotiating with IBEDC to address the situation and urged the youth to allow discussions to unfold.
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