Human and vehicular movements were brought to a standstill on Monday as angry residents of Idokpa Community in Aduduwawa staged a protest over prolonged power outage, blocking the major highway linking Benin to other parts of Edo State and the North.
The protesters barricaded the busy bypass leading into and out of Benin, causing hours-long gridlock and leaving hundreds of motorists and commuters stranded under the scorching sun.
Residents said the protest was triggered by several weeks of total blackout, which they claimed had crippled businesses and worsened living conditions in the community.
They insisted the road would remain blocked until government officials and the media arrived to address their grievances.
A resident, who identified herself as Doris, told Newsmen that the persistent power outage had inflicted severe economic hardship on traders, artisans and small business owners in the area.
According to her, the situation was made more painful by the fact that neighbouring communities continued to enjoy a steady electricity supply, while Idokpa remained in darkness.
She accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of allegedly diverting electricity meant for the community to other areas, describing the action as unfair and unacceptable.
“We are protesting because this power outage has crippled our businesses and made life unbearable for us.
“We believe that blocking this road will draw attention to our suffering. It is painful that the next community has light while we are in darkness”, she said
Another resident, Gideon, said the protesters were demanding the immediate intervention of top government officials, stressing that the road would not be reopened until their complaints were formally addressed.
“We cannot continue to live in darkness while others enjoy electricity. We want the government and BEDC to hear us,” he said.
Meanwhile, stranded travellers expressed frustration over the blockade. Hassan, a motorist travelling to Kaduna, lamented that he had been stuck on the highway for hours, describing the protest as ill-timed.
“This is a major highway, and this is not the right way to protest. People are travelling long distances,” he said, appealing to the protesters to consider the plight of commuters”, Hassan lamented.
Reacting to the development, a BEDC official, denied allegations of deliberate power diversion, explaining that the outage was due to challenges beyond the company’s control.
“The power outage being experienced in some parts of Edo State is not deliberate,” the official said. “It is caused by a shortage of gas used for power generation.”
As of press time, the highway remained blocked, with security agencies monitoring the situation amid growing calls for swift government intervention to restore calm and electricity supply to the affected community.
