In the early hours of Wednesday, August 27, unidentified individuals stormed the Odanikin Ayalodi/Ajikorunmo community in Akure South Local Government Area and vandalized the community’s electricity panel and transformer.
The incident was discovered by residents who had anticipated the restoration of power by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) as part of its normal supply routine.
The vandalized transformer, installed during the administration of former Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in recognition of the community’s political support, serves as the only source of electricity for Isokan and adjoining neighborhoods.
Prior to the attack, residents had endured epileptic power supply due to the transformer being overloaded by the growing number of communities connected to it. Efforts to secure an additional transformer from the state government and BEDC had yielded no positive results.
Chairman of the Odanikin Ayalodi community, Mr. Olosu David Temitope, described the act as “devastating,” noting that residents had made daily efforts to keep the facility functioning despite the strain on its capacity.
He appealed to Akure South Local Government and the Ondo State Government to intervene urgently to restore electricity to the area.
Aside from the vandalism, some residents also reported losses, including stolen laptops and severed solar power cables.
The matter has been reported to the Okuta Elerinla Police Station and the BEDC office at Onyearuagbulem for further investigation.
