Residents of the Mpape community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday blocked the local office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), insisting that power be restored at once and that they be refunded for money they say they spent fixing a faulty transformer.
The protesters, who live in the Katampe 2 area of Mpape under the Maitama 2 district, said they have been without electricity for about four months.
They told reporters the community purchased a replacement transformer for N3.5 million and later paid N3.7 million to repair it, bringing their total outlay to more than N7 million for equipment they say belongs to AEDC.
A resident, Roland Amagada, speaking for community chairman, Emeka Okoro, said the transformer was returned by AEDC staff but could not be energised because the company insisted additional components — a thunder arrestor, feeder cables and copper conductors — were required.
Amagada alleged an AEDC staff member removed materials from the site and that a requested supply of parts from head office has not been fulfilled for about two weeks.
“When they brought the transformer back, they said they need new parts. They claimed to have made a requisition to the head office, but for the past two weeks nothing has been done,” Amagada said.
Residents described the prolonged blackout as damaging to livelihoods and security. “When there is no light, the boys are hungry, and they keep disturbing us every night,”
One resident said, adding that many households now keep watch at night and some people have been injured.
Speaking on the issue, AEDC’s head of corporate communications, Omede Odekina, said the company is aware of the situation and is engaging with the community. “Yes, we’re aware. We are engaging and the issue will be resolved amicably. We are committed to listening and resolving customer complaints,” he told TheFact Daily.
The protest drew the attention of executive director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Chief Princewill Okorie, who stopped at the scene while passing through the area.
He told gathered residents and journalists that the outage and AEDC’s response may breach the Electricity Act 2023 and consumer protection rules.
Okorie said distribution companies are required under consumer protection regulations to repair faults on infrastructure they own within specified timeframes, and that allowing a fault to persist for three to four months amounts to a breach.
He also warned residents against signing any “third-party investment agreement” proposed by AEDC, saying such documents could transfer ownership of community-funded infrastructure to the company without ensuring reimbursement.
“The criminality in it is that the DisCo will keep quiet and the people will be begging them to energise, while they will tell them to sign a document donating the infrastructure,” Okorie said.
He urged residents to document meter readings before power is restored, warning the company might later claim inflated outstanding bills.
Okorie referenced Section 217 of the Electricity Act 2023 and Section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution, and cited international social and economic rights instruments to argue that prolonged denial of electricity undermines residents’ living standards and may amount to a rights violation.
The community said it will maintain pressure until power is restored and the question of reimbursement is resolved.
