Kunle Adelabu
A human right lawyer, Barr. Shakiru Omolaja, has alleged the Ikeja Electric, Ikorodu Business District, located at Alogba Estate in Ikorodu, of callousness and inhumane act, for putting over 24 communities into darkness.
The darkness, which has lasted nine days, was as a result of a damaged pole by a young Lexus jeep driver who hit an electric pole, while trying to escape from armed men who later turned out to be police officers.
In a video posted by the lawyer on his Facebook page on Sunday, he explained that a young man driving a Lexus Jeep, late in the night about a week ago ran into the pole close to Alhaji Olowoshago’s house along Oriwu Road when he noticed hefty armed men coming down from a vehicle which was driving against the traffic on the road that is one way.
He said that in an attempt to run for his life having sighted the armed men who later turned out to be police officers who were not wearing uniforms or carrying branded bus, put his vehicle on reverse and in the process smashed into the pole which, according to him, was damaged.
The lawyer claimed that when contacted, the PHCN Ikeja Business District demanded N4million from the driver to fix the pole, but that they were offered N500, 000 which was rejected and later N800, 000 which was also rejected.
In a video posted online today, Barr. Omolaja confirmed that a total sum of N1.5million has been collected from the guy as at Saturday, April 11, and yet, the electric company is yet to replace the pole, thereby, putting 24 communities from Ita -Elewa, Oriwu Road, Ota -Ona to Grammar School into darkness.
“This is a classical example of man’s inhumanity to man”, Barr. Omolaja said.
He emphasized that the entire communities, over 24 of them, have been denied electricity callously by the Ikeja Electric Business District at Alogba.
“This is the ninth day that the 14 transformers serving the over 24 communities, have been disconnected without electricity supply. Can you imagine the inhumanity of man to man?.
Barr. Omolaja, querying the rationale behind the Ikeja Electric’s demand for N4million for the repair of the the damaged pole, said that President Bola Tinubu just released over N3trillion to electricity companies.
“How much will it cost Ikeja Electric to buy a new pole and fix? They gave the boy a bill of over N3.2million which I saw personally. The boy has paid N1.5million, yet, they did not restore electricity to the concerned communities”, Barr. Omolaja said.
He mentioned one Mr Alimi Kofo and Engr.Afolabi Mutiu as officials of the Ikeja Electric who have callously, wickedly and maliciously denied the people electricity.
The fiery lawyer also accused the Ikeja Electric of weaponizing power supply against the people.
He alleged that the electricity company is sabotaging the efforts of President Tinubu in providing essential commodities to the common man by weaponizing electricity supply against the people.
The lawyer, who gave the position of the community on the pole, said that the pole only cost about N150, 000.
Attempts to reach officials of the Ikeja Electric Ikorodu Business Unit proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
