Residents of Mogede community in Ibafo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, have accused the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) of diverting power meant for their homes to nearby private companies, leaving them in darkness for months.

Despite enduring a prolonged blackout, residents claim they are still billed at exorbitant rates for power they are not receiving.

The situation has left businesses crippled, and many households are struggling to cope.

In a protest letter signed by community chairperson Bisiriyu Serifat, the residents demanded urgent intervention from the Ogun State Government and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), describing the situation as “unfair and exploitative.”

The letter stated, “For many months now, we have been having epileptic electricity supply in our community despite the astronomical increase in billing… electricity meant for our C.D.A is often traded illegally to surrounding companies.”

Speaking on behalf of the community, Quadri Adelagun expressed frustration: “For several months now, we have been living in darkness, yet IBEDC keeps bringing us bills as if we are enjoying 24-hour power supply.

How can we be paying for electricity we are not using?” He also claimed that despite numerous meetings, IBEDC has failed to address their complaints.

However, IBEDC denied the allegations, stating that electricity supplied to local companies comes from “private, dedicated sources” and is not part of IBEDC’s grid.

According to Ayodeji Bada, a Senior Communication Officer at IBEDC, the irregular power supply is due to a rotational energy management system, as the community falls under Band E customers with limited energy allocation.

“Mogede community is part of our customer base… The total load demand for these communities is 45MW, yet the allocation from the transmission station is currently limited to 12MW,” Bada explained.

The residents are calling for immediate action from the authorities to investigate and resolve their concerns.