A peaceful protest against epileptic power supply in Kafanchan, Kaduna state, on Monday, turned violent as one person was shot by security operatives.
The protesters stormed the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO), Kafanchan business office, in their numbers carrying placards with inscriptions: ‘Stop charging us high’, ‘Stop the blackout’, ‘Give us stable power supply.
A protester was shot in the back and rushed to the hospital, as security operatives fired shots to disperse the angry mob, when the protest turned violent, with a car and some motorcycles at the KAEDCO office torched.
Some of the protesters who spoke lamented that power supply in the area was not commensurate with the ‘high billing’ they usually received monthly.
They maintained that the power situation in Kafanchan had deteriorated in recent times, while calling for an end to excessive billing by KAEDCO and the removal of the current area manager, because the deterioration in supply occurred under his watch.
Efforts to speak with the Area manage, however, proved abortive as he was said to be out of town.
