Residents of the Kubwa village area in the FCT have been without power for two weeks following an alleged assault on officials from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

Abuja Metro reports that all attempts to resolve the issue and restore power have been unsuccessful.

When our reporter visited the area, a resident, Adamu Muhammad, explained that AEDC officials were conducting a routine check for illegal connections when the alleged assault on the officials happened.

“They later decided to go to the community’s chief’s palace for the same purpose, but unfortunately, some youth prevented them, which led to a fracas. As a result, all of us were disconnected from the transformer,” he said.

According to Muhammad, residents who complained to the local AEDC office were told that their chief needed to come in for a discussion before power would be reconnected.

The chief visited the office last week, but the community remains without electricity, he added.

The community’s youth leader, Buhari Abu, was away during the incident.

He told our reporter he expected the officials to have brought the matter to the chief or invited him to their office before taking action and disconnecting the entire community.

He added that many residents who rely on power for their businesses have lost their livelihoods, and others have had perishable goods spoil.

The Chief of Kubwa village, Bala Yakubu, confirmed the situation, stating that efforts are underway to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

A senior official at the AEDC office in Gbazango, who wished to remain anonymous, also confirmed the incident. The official said on the day of the incident, their staff had checked five residences and found three were using faulty meters.

“They were getting their normal power supply through ‘bypass,’” the official said.

He added, “We checked our system and discovered they had not been paying for power for over a year, and we put that into the record. But unfortunately, as our officials were heading toward the Chief’s Palace, some youth disrupted them.

“Once there is such an assault, the next thing we can do is retreat to avoid damage, injury, or an ugly incident,” the official explained.

According to him, as a result, the officials quietly withdrew and reported the matter to higher authorities before deciding to disconnect the community.

When asked about customers who pay their bills but also lost power, the official said those with meters and proof of payment could come forward for authentication and get their power restored.

However, residents claimed that after visiting the AEDC office with their payment evidence, they were told to be patient until the entire matter was resolved. (Daily Trust)

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