Residents of Arepo in Ogun State have petitioned Ikeja Electric over persistent power outages lasting more than four months. The community, represented by the Concerned Residents of Arepo (CRA), stated that despite being upgraded from Band C to Band B, which guarantees 16 to 18 hours of daily supply, they now receive no more than two hours of electricity per day. The petition, signed by Kehinde Adeyemo, Friday Erhabor and 26 other residents, accused the power distributor of erratic supply patterns, restoring power only briefly on arbitrary days, causing damage to electrical appliances.
The residents said previous promises by Ikeja Electric to resolve the issue had not been fulfilled, and a peaceful protest held at the company's Ikeja headquarters on May 8 yielded no action. They also highlighted that many households remain unmetered and are subjected to estimated billing, which they described as unfair. The petition demands immediate improvement in power supply in line with service-based tariff agreements, installation of meters for all affected consumers, and upgrades to critical infrastructure including the Akute feeder and Oke Aro stations. Compensation for lost supply over the past four months was also requested, with a legal notice served should no meaningful action be taken.
Copies of the petition were forwarded to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Forum in Osogbo, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). The Journalists' Estate, located within Arepo, is among the affected communities.
Ikeja Electric assured improved supply after Arepo's tariff upgrade, yet residents now get just two hours of power daily—far below the promised 16 to 18 hours. When a company collects under a higher tariff band but delivers less than before, the residents paying those bills are effectively subsidising failure. The legal notice from the community may force a response, but the real test is whether regulators act on the unmet obligations already documented.
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