Masquerades led a group of young people in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, to demand action over the sudden hike in electricity bills.
The protest, which took place on Friday, was triggered by the unexpected shift in the community’s electricity billing from Band C to Band A, resulting in steep increases in charges for the month of March 2025.
The protesters gathered at Bareke Roundabout in Omu-Aran, carrying placards that read messages such as ‘Omu-Aran Says No to Band A’, ‘Revert Omu-Aran to Band C’, and ‘Omu-Aran Youths Have Spoken Loudly’.
The youths, who danced and chanted protest songs, expressed frustration over their electricity bills, which had surged from the previous range of N10,000 to N15,000 to a new range of N41,000 to N47,000.
The demonstrators argued that the sudden rise in charges came amid ongoing electricity supply issues, with many areas of the community experiencing irregular power.
They refused to be escorted by police or other security agencies during the protest, making it clear they would continue to push for change without intimidation.
The protest led the group through key locations in the town, including the Olomu Market, Latinwo Market, and Olomu Palace, before arriving at the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) located at the Omu-Aran City Complex.
Protesters also blocked major roads leading out of the town, including the Omu-Aran-Kabba and Omu-Aran-Otun-Ekiti highways, causing long delays for travelers.
In a statement issued during the protest, Niyi Adeyeye, the President of the Omu-Aran Development Association, outlined the community’s demands.
These included restoring the previous Band C billing, replacing faulty transformers, and reducing the current rates to reflect the old pricing structure. They also called for an independent review of IBEDC’s service delivery, halting the purchase of faulty meters by consumers, and suspending the overdraft system for prepaid meters.
Responding to the protests, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, met with the protesters at his palace and appealed for calm.
He assured the demonstrators that the community leadership was already in discussions with IBEDC to address their concerns and resolve the ongoing issues.