Human and vehicular traffic on a major highway leading into and out of Benin City, Edo State, was brought to a standstill for several hours on Monday, December 22nd, 2025.
Residents of the Idokpa Community in the Aduwawa area blocked the crucial bypass to protest a power outage that has lasted for several weeks, crippling local businesses.
The protesters vowed not to clear the road until government officials and media representatives came to address their grievances directly. This action caused severe gridlock, leaving hundreds of motorists and travellers, including those heading to northern states like Kaduna, stranded for hours.
Residents’ Plight and Accusations
Community residents expressed deep frustration over the prolonged blackout. A resident named Doris stated that the outage had severely impacted livelihoods. She and others accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of diverting power meant for their community to neighbouring areas, a claim that added to their agitation.
“What is most painful is that the next community has a steady power supply,” Doris said, calling on BEDC to restore electricity as residents’ suffering was becoming unbearable.
Another resident, Gideon, reinforced the protesters’ determination, stating they “cannot continue to live in darkness while others enjoy electricity”.
Travellers’ Ordeal and BEDC’s Response
The protest significantly inconvenienced long-distance travellers. A stranded traveller named Hassan, who was en route to Kaduna, lamented being stuck on the road the entire day. He described the timing of the protest as inappropriate and appealed for the road to be reopened.
In response to the allegations, a BEDC official who spoke to the media denied any deliberate diversion of electricity. The official explained that the widespread outage in parts of Edo State was due to a shortage of gas used for power generation, a challenge beyond the company’s immediate control.
As of reports on Monday, the highway remained blocked with security agencies monitoring the situation, amid calls for swift intervention to resolve the impasse and address the community’s power supply issues.
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Disclaimer:
This report is based on events covered by multiple news sources. The situation is dynamic and may have evolved after reporting. CDA News Nigeria is an independent digital news platform.
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