By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
KADUNA: Millennium City Community suffered total darkness, as residents accused Kaduna Electric of undermining the courts and endangering lives with a sweeping disconnection carried out while a related case is still pending.
The action, residents under the Ministerial Plot Housing Estate Residents Association, MPHERA, said, has plunged more than 500 people into darkness, disrupted hospital services, and raised fresh security concerns across the estate.
In a statement issued in Kaduna, MPHERA Chairman Shafik Muazu Shira said the dispute was never about rejecting electricity or proper metering. Instead, he said the conflict stems from Kaduna Electric’s plan to carry out a blanket replacement of existing meters without prior engagement.
To manage the issue, Shira said residents had constituted an Electricity Committee to protect consumer interest and ensure the integrity of supply in Millennium City, while also supporting a peaceful and lawful resolution.
He called on Kaduna Electric to allow the judicial process to proceed without interference, warning that steps taken mid-litigation risk complicating the matter further.
The association described the decision to disconnect the whole community in response to objections over the metering exercise as excessive, and demanded urgent intervention from regulators.
Shira also flagged the company’s proposal to mount meters on poles, stressed that any such installation must strictly comply with technical standards and regulations prescribed by NERC and NEMSA.
He reminded the DisCo that NEMSA had earlier conducted an independent technical verification of meters within the affected estates, and had identified specific meters for replacement or further action. He urged Kaduna Electric to adhere to those recommendations and to engage residents before implementing any approved replacements.
According to Shira, residents and community structures in Millennium City have, for almost a decade, worked with Kaduna Electric and provided support and infrastructure that helped sustain electricity distribution in the area. He said it was time for the company to return to the negotiating table rather than impose a blanket outage.
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