By joshua Ologbo Community: Disrupting Electricity Supply To Millions Of Nigerians
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
A multi-billion naira power company – Ossiomo Power Company based in Ologbo, Edo State, has alerted the relevant government authorities in the country and the general public of the unwholesome activities of dangerous elements from the local community which are preventing it from carrying out its legitimate operational power activities.
The company alleged that some youths from the Ologbo Community are believed to be under the influence of Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology Co. Ltd (CCETC), have illegally and forcefully entered the gas plant at the Ossiomo Industrial Park located at Ologbo, thereby preventing the company from supplying electricity to the people of Edo State.
The suspected hirings have on several occasions been involved in the illegal and forceful entry into Ossiomo gas station may have been sponsored and paid by CCETC to continue to carry out their acts of sabotage.
These youths have also severely vandalized the Ossiomo Power Company’s 33KV transmission lines which transmit power from Ologbo to Benin City and its environs.
It was gathered that the main arrowhead behind these dirty activities is Mr. Felix Okotie who was accused of taking delight in leading other youths from the Ologbo community to vandalize the property of the power company, while Mr. Osaretin Omorodion, was fingered as the person allegedly responsible for the vandalization of the 33KV power lines.
It is heartbreaking that whereas millions of Nigerians are in dire need of electricity power, the Mr. Okotie and his co-travellers from Ologbo are brazenly setting back the President Tinubu’s avowed commitment to give a round the clock power supply to the people by deliberately preventing Ossiomo Power Company from delivering stable 24/7 electricity supply to the people.
Bemoaning the unwholesome activities of the members of the Ologbo community, the Site Engineer of the Ossiomo Power Company, Engr. Ekwe Francis Chukwuma, disclosed to journalists who visited the company’s office at Ologbo, that the gas plant section of the company was illegally disrupted by people masquerading as community youths, led by Felix Okotie since November 2025.
He said all entreaties to make them remove themselves from the gas station where they have illegally laid siege had fallen on deaf ears, thereby leaving the hundreds of thousands electricity beneficiaries in perpetual darkness.
He revealed that as a matter of fact, Ossiomo Power Company has contributed more to the Ologbo community with their CSR programme than any other company in Ologbo and probably, in Edo State, saying that the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contribution to Ologbo Community in 2025 was in excess of N182 million.
Furthermore, Ologbo was without power for more than six years, due to mass disconnection of the Ologbo community by BEDC due to these same issues of vandalism, illegal meter bypassing, violent attacks, etc until Ossiomo came to their rescue and commenced power supply to Ologbo circa early 2022.
The Ossiomo Site Engineer however appealed to relevant authorities to assist in dislodging the youths who are illegally disrupting the gas station to enable the power company to resume supplying electricity to Nigerians.
According to him, “millions of Nigerians are in dire need of electricity yet the people of Ologbo have prevented us for about 10 months from giving people light for no reasonable justification.
“For nearly one year, the company has been forcefully and illegally put out of business. We are getting sick and tired of this situation because our teeming customers are wallowing in darkness and the company’s investment is in jeopardy just because of the people who feel they are above the law”, the Ossiomo Power Company’s Site Engineer added.
It was further disclosed that on December 2, 2025, the youths had attacked two Security personnel from the office of the Department of State Security (DSS), who were posted to the Ossiomo Gas Plant to maintain Law and Order, inflicting injuries on them.
The failure to prosecute these youths for this brazen and violent attack on the law enforcement officers seems to have encouraged them to feel that they are above the law.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the security men, made up of mobile policemen and personnel of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), said members of the community, especially some youths under the leadership of Mr. Felix Okotie, have been giving them troubles in the company.
Describing them as”trouble makers”, the security personnel disclosed that the Okotie led group believes that they are above the law and that they are untouchable.
“They will come here and torment us, insult and abuse us and even provoking us to a fight but because our mandate is peace and not engagement, we have been ignoring and telorating their excesses.
“CCETC officials will come here and try to trespass and when we stop them, CCETC officials will put a call across to Okotie and his men and within a few minutes, an uncountable number of youths will come and force us to do the biddings of the Chinese people”.
When the newsmen contacted Mr. Okotie at Ologbo, he and some of his comrades, including Messrs Lucky Igbineweka, Tony Obaseki and Biggy, said all their actions concerning Ossiomo Power Company and CCETC, have the blessing of the elders and people of Ologbo community.
They boastfully stated that they were out to protect the interest of CCETC at all costs and will never allow another company to rival the Chinese firm, noting that they are free to do anything they like because the companies in question are in their community.
They however referred the journalists to the secretary of the community, Deacon Friday Osazuwa for further information.
But all efforts to get the comments of Ologbo community secretary and chairman of the local government council, Hon. Eric Osawaru, on the issues, proved abortive as they did not respond to the several calls and messages sent to their phones.