By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Residents of the ECWA Hausa/De Jays Hotel area in Ungwan Boro, Kaduna South, have cried out over the destruction of household electronics and appliances following a prolonged power surge that lasted five days.
The power fluctuation, which reportedly began last Tuesday and persisted intermittently until this week, resulted in the damage of several electronic items, including televisions, table fans, laptops, mobile phones, phone chargers, electric bulbs, extension sockets, and other household appliances.
Affected residents who spoke to our correspondent expressed frustration over the failure of the electricity unit staff to address the issue despite repeated complaints. One of the victims, Mr. James Musa, said he contacted the electricity substation manager twice but received no response.
“It was devastating. The high voltage kept recurring for days, and almost everyone in the neighborhood lost something,” Musa lamented.
Another resident from the Jaba/Segma Road area attributed the issue to an overloaded transformer that supplies power to the community.
Confirming the incident, an electronics repairer identified as Mr. Tony said he received several damaged items for repair, while his apprentices also reported similar cases from affected customers.
Kristen, a local bar worker, said her family lost all their charging devices, including those belonging to her mother and sister. “Our POS machine, phone chargers, and even the stabilizer got burnt,” she said.
Another resident and community coordinator, popularly known as Yellow, also confirmed that he tried reaching the substation manager without success.
As of press time, the Head of Corporate Communications at Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Abdullazeez Abdullahi, had not responded to calls or messages seeking comment on the incident.
Residents are now calling on the electricity company to take responsibility and compensate those affected, stating that they had provided timely reports and evidence of the fluctuation since its onset.
“We’ve shown them the damage. Our TVs, radios, decoders — even my own charger and extension socket — were burnt. We deserve answers,” a visibly angry resident told our reporter.
