Aina Aladi Residents Lament Months-Long Blackout, Accuse Ikeja Electric of Neglect

Residents of Aina Aladi Community Development Association, situated off AIT Road in Alagbado, Lagos, have raised alarm over a prolonged power outage caused by a faulty transformer, leaving more than 300 homes without electricity for months.

The community has accused Ikeja Electric of ignoring repeated complaints and failing to take decisive action despite several appeals.

Speaking on behalf of residents, Afeez Lawal disclosed that the transformer serving the area had been faulty for about three years, forcing residents to ration electricity before it eventually broke down completely in December 2025.

He noted that the situation worsened after the transformer was removed for repairs without any clear timeline for its return.

“We were advised during our general meeting to escalate the issue so authorities can hear our plight. However, officials in charge have failed to respond to our concerns,” Lawal said.

According to him, residents were repeatedly informed that critical equipment, described as a “Hayab machine,” was unavailable, despite the community’s efforts to support the repair process.

“We have made several attempts to resolve this, yet nothing has changed. Over 95 per cent of the 350 houses here use prepaid meters, so it is unclear why our case is being neglected,” he added.

Another resident, Aladesomi, expressed frustration, stating that the community had relied on the same transformer for over 25 years without major issues until recently. He added that since December 2025, residents have had no information about the transformer’s location after it was taken away.

The prolonged blackout, he said, has made access to basic necessities like water difficult and has contributed to rising insecurity in the area.

Residents also revealed that they now walk long distances—up to two kilometres—to fetch water due to the lack of electricity, while criminal activities such as theft and drug abuse have reportedly increased under the cover of darkness.

Another resident explained that the outage began shortly after December 28, when officials removed the transformer without prior notice. Efforts to track it led them to various Ikeja Electric offices, including Abule Taylor and Dopemu, but they were repeatedly asked to remain patient.

The worsening conditions have reportedly forced some tenants to vacate their homes due to the lack of electricity, water, and security.

Residents are now calling on both the Lagos State Government and Ikeja Electric to urgently intervene and restore power to the community, warning that continued neglect could further endanger lives and livelihoods.

When contacted, Ikeja Electric spokesperson Kingsley Okotie requested that inquiries be sent via WhatsApp but had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.