Residents In Darkness For Days As Ikeja Electric, Home Owner Clash Over Drainage Construction, 2.6 Million ‘Extortion’

Residents in Ishokan Estate Phase One, Ayobo, Lagos State, have been left in darkness for days over a dispute between Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ayobo Undertaking) and a lady (name withheld) building her house.

Naijaonpoint reports that the clash between the Distribution Company and the lady has thrown the community (Adewale Badmus Close and Samuel Adu Close) into darkness.

Sources told this reporter that power was cut on Sunday, September 1st, 2024 following the construction of a drainage by the lady which affected electrical poles in the estate.

The lady, who is building a duplex in the estate, alleged she approached the Ayobo office of Ikeja electric before she began construction of the drainage but she was asked to pay over 300,000 naira to move the electric poles, which she refused and contracted an electrician to do for her.

She stated that despite erecting the poles that was removed during the construction of the drainage, Ikeja electric demanded she pays 2.6 million before coming to hang the wires and restore power to the community.

The lady said she was told to part with 2.6 million naira for allegedly tampering with Ikeja electric poles (poles the community claimed they purchased themselves) before electricity would be restored to parts of the estate.

While admiting she was wrong to contract an electrician, she said Ikeja Electric is now trying to extort her with such huge funds before giving “innocent residents light.”

While community leaders have expressed anger over the blackout, nothing has been done to restore power.

Speaking on the power outage, John, who is the technical assistant to the Ayobo Undertaking Manager, Mrs Kikelomo Iyabode Okebiyi, admitted that the lady sort permission from the Disco to pull down poles and construct drainage but she was asked to pay 500,000 naira which she refused.

He stated that the woman went ahead to carry out the digging off the drainage despite Ikeja electric rejecting her request.

John stated that as the lady went ahead with the construction it affected electrical poles in the area which forced the Disco to disconnect power in the estate.

He stated that power would not be restored to the community, vowing that the woman must purchase two new poles and pay fines before those affected will get light.

Pleas from residents of the affected streets (Adewale Badmus close and Samuel Adu close) to Ikeja electric to reconnect the wires have been ignored.

Residents have been told they won’t get electricity until the landlady pays the fine imposed on her by IE.

Speaking to Naijaonpoint, a source said it was Ikeja Electric Akowonjo Business District (Iponle) asked the woman to pay a fine of 2.6 million before electricity will be reconnected.

“They fined the landlady 2.6 million before they can reconnect. They said the amount is the cost of electric poles and wires.

“This is pure extortion. They poles are in good condition. The wires are still there but they are trying to collect money from the woman,” the source said.

“You can not use the offence committed by one person to deny a community electricity. This is abuse of power by Ikeja electric. Coming Sunday will make it two weeks without light.

“Ikeja electric should please find a way to penalise the woman alone for her offence and restore light to the community,” the source added.