Sapele residents protest blackout, shut down businesses

Residents of Sapele Town in Delta State, on Friday, April 21, halted economic activities in that part of the country.

They were protesting a perennial electricity blackout situation.

Some of the residents who spoke to Pulse lamented that they have been left in darkness for more than two months.

They accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of preferential treatment.

According to some of the respondents who joined the protest, "politicians, hotels and individuals wey dey line 33 dey always get light...we we dey for darkness".

was made to understand that "Line 33" is highbrow Sapele; where the elite can afford to rent homes at inflated prices.

One protester would later add that: "Sapele dey generate light for other places to use,yet darkness don cover theentire town. The worst of it be say, we still dey pay for the darkness.

"Sapele wey be household name,wen people dey talk of Timber and Plywood. Now we dey go Benin..."

The protesters later picketed the office of the electricity distribution company and barricaded all roads around Sapele.

Shops and offices were shuttered as well.

Erratic power remains a challenge in Nigeria; Africa's biggest economy.