Angry customers thronged Ilorin IBEDC over electricity cables theft, vandalisation
- nationalpilot
- Aug 9, 2015
- 2 min read
Scores of aggrieved electricity consumers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital last week Tuesday besieged the Baboko office of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDEC) over persistent cases of cables pilfering and vandalisation of electrical facilities.
It was gathered that different communities from Akerebiata, Mandate I Housing Estate along Adewole area, Adeta and some parts of Adewole Housing Estate have constantly been experiencing the problems.
They alleged that the perpetrators executed their nefarious activities with active connivance of some staff of the company, thereby throwing customers and affected communities to perpetual blackout.
According to the angry looking customers, the incidents usually occur in the night when there is power outage.
They also alleged that instead of the company to replace the damaged and stolen materials, they resort to advising the customers to formally write the company on matter before replacement could be effected.
The customers also alleged that the staff of the company in most cases asked them to contribute money and procure the materials if they want to hasten the situation.
Miffed by the situation, the people of Adewole Community and Mandate I Housing Estate stormed the Baboko IBEDC office, expressing their grievances over the rampant cases of cables theft in the two communities.
A resident from the estate who spoke under anonymity told Pilot Business that it was the second time electricity cables would be stolen and the community always took over the responsibility of IBEDC by contributing money for the repair and replacement of the cables without single effort from the electricity company.
He said they were tired of the situation as they have been in total darkness for the past two weeks, which prompted them to cry out for the company to rise to its responsibility before the customers take laws into their hands.
He stated that it was the proprietor of one private university in Ilorin who lives in the area that dropped a sum of N150, 000 for a repair the last time the cables were carted away.
Our correspondent also gathered that the people of Akerebiata Community experienced the cases of cables theft four times and had protested to the IBEDC office without yielding any positive results until the people of the community contributed money to fix the stolen and damaged IBEDC installations.
While addressing the angry customers, a senior official at Baboko office of the company who did not revealed his name appealed to the customers to exercise patience with the company.
He said the company was making efforts to repair the stolen and damaged installations, but added that it may take a long process and months as the office would have to write the IBEDC office on the matter.
The IBEDC official urged them to mount surveillance on the installations of IBEDC in their areas and also cement the cables to guide against thefts.
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