Air Force personnel invade IKEDC office, allegedly ‘assault’ workers over power disconnection

• Sieze, return 15 operational vehicles, drivers
• Electricity workers threaten strike over invasion

A violent standoff, yesterday, erupted between personnel of the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja and officials of the Ikeja Electric (IE) following the disconnection of the military’s facility over an accumulated N4 billion electricity debt spanning a decade.

The situation escalated when military personnel allegedly stormed the headquarters of Ikeja Electric, assaulting its members of staff, carting away the company’s property, and forcefully demanding reconnection.

The distribution company (DisCo) has described the incident as an outright act of intimidation and lawlessness.

Head of Corporate Communications, Kingsley Okotie, explained that officers of the Air Force Base in Ikeja, who are their customers, invaded them due to electricity disconnection over their indebtedness, noting that they beat them up, carted away their laptops, and destroyed their corporate headquarters, Oshodi business unit, and other locations that service the Air Force Base.

During the confrontation, The Guardian gathered that they reportedly seized 15 operational vehicles along with their drivers at gunpoint. The vehicles and drivers were later returned after the situation escalated.

Okotie emphasised that despite owing over N4 billion in unpaid electricity bills, the Base had consistently failed to honour previous agreements for debt servicing.

He added that the Air Force Base obstructed electricity officials from accessing their facility to monitor power usage, thereby bypassing agreed supply limits.

Okotie added that the Nigerian Army Cantonment in Ikeja had previously faced billing and supply issues but resolved them through dialogue and an understanding with the electricity provider. As part of the resolution, auto-enclosure equipment and post-paid metering were introduced, ensuring a stable supply, which they now pay for.

He noted, however, that the Nigerian Air Force had taken a different stance, expecting uninterrupted supply without similar agreements. He referenced recent media reports by the Air Force Base about the presence of explosives at the Base, warning that if power isn’t restored, it could lead to another explosion like in 2002, which Okotie referred to as ‘blackmail’.

He said that if the Base energy needs are as critical as claimed, it should have its dedicated power plant rather than relying solely on Ikeja Electric’s supply.

HOWEVER, Chairman of the IKEDC, Kola Adesina, said there had been a better understanding and communication between the company and the Air Force after the violence, describing the violence as unfortunate and needless.

Also, the Air Force AOC in Lagos, Air Vice Marshal Kola Ademuwagun, described the incident as unfortunate, promising to investigate and sanction personnel involved in the rampage.

MEANWHILE, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has strongly condemned the military invasion of Ikeja Electric’s Corporate Headquarters and Oshodi Business Unit, describing the act as “gangsterism” and “unprofessional behaviour.”

In a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the NUEE, which advised its members to stay away from work until their safety is assured, said: “We cannot work under brutality, intimidation, and threat to life. If our demands are not met, we will have no choice but to withdraw our services nationwide until we are guaranteed safety and protection at the workplace.”