Residents of Abuja Quarters, Barhim Layout, Sha’iskawa, and Tigirmis Quarters in Barhim, Katsina State, staged a massive protest on Sunday, December 7, 2025, decrying six months of unrelenting power outage that has plunged over 5,000 households into darkness, exacerbating water scarcity and surging insecurity.
Community spokesman Usman Mohammad-Alqasim highlighted the unexplained grid disconnection, blaming stalled demolition of illegal structures under a 33kV line halted midway after Batagarawa LGA Chairman Alhaji Yahaya Kawo's intervention leaving compliant areas powered while protesters suffer.
Village head Malam Sirajo Aminu decried heightened thefts, near-impossible water access without private interventions, and demands for schools, hospitals, drainage amid banditry threats. Kawo acknowledged the crisis, promising resolution "this week" via approved funds for line relocation, though skepticism lingers over favoritism claims.
The unrest underscores Nigeria's grid woes in bandit-ravaged North, where outages fuel hardships despite federal interventions. Protesters vow sustained pressure.