A large number of furious young people flooded the streets of Kwale, the administrative hub of Ndokwa West Local Government Area in Delta State, early Monday morning, causing significant disruption to traffic and stopping commercial activities during a massive protest against the lack of electricity in the area for over twenty years.
The protesters, clearly upset, called for an immediate power supply from the Okpai Power Plant Step-Down facility to the communities in Ndokwa land.
According to those taking part in the protest, it is intolerable that even though they host major gas reserves and power infrastructure feeding into the national grid, Ndokwa communities have been shrouded in complete darkness for more than two decades.
“We cannot live like this while our resources fuel the country,” a protester asserted. “Okpai supplies the national grid, yet we, who are the hosts, remain in darkness. This cannot continue!”
Demonstrators set up large tents at Ogume Junction, a key point along the Asaba–Kwale–Ozoro highway, completely blocking traffic between Asaba, Kwale, and Ozoro.
Long lines of stranded vehicles developed on both sides of the blockade, with passengers having no choice but to wait.
Another protest site was established at the Technical College Junction in Kwale, successfully shutting down the Asaba–Ughelli Road, another critical route in the area.
The protests led to a significant deployment of security personnel, including police officers and soldiers, who are currently positioned at strategic points to oversee the situation.
As of the latest updates, there had been no violent clashes between security forces and protesters.
However, tension remains high in Kwale. Shops are closed, and local businesses are paralyzed as residents worry that the peaceful protest might escalate.
A senior police officer at one of the protest areas refused to comment to the media, directing all inquiries to the Delta State Police Command Headquarters in Asaba.
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The demonstration highlights long-standing sentiments of marginalization and neglect in Ndokwa land, a region rich in energy resources but lacking essential infrastructure.
Many of the protesters carried placards with messages like “Light Up Ndokwa Nation,” “We Are Tired of Darkness,” and “No Light, No Peace.”
Residents are now calling on both the Delta State Government and the Federal Ministry of Power to urgently intervene and address the protesters’ demands to avoid a potential breakdown in law and order.
