CITIZENS COMPASS– Some personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Thursday, invaded the headquarters of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) in Ikeja, Lagos State.
This occurred in the morning.
Eyewitnesses’ accounts said some personnel of IKEDC were brutalised in the process.
It was learnt that the invasion was occasioned by constant power outage at NAF yard.
During the invasion, some staffers of IKEDC were said to have scampered for safety before help could come.
Mr. Kingsley Okotie, Head of Corporate Communications for Ikeja Electric, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that the incident followed the disconnection of electricity to a NAF facility due to unpaid bills and operational concerns.
Okotie explained that the disruption took place in the early hours of Thursday when uniformed Air Force officers forcefully entered the premises of the utility company, demanding immediate reconnection to the power grid.
He said that when their demands were not met, the officers resorted to damaging property and causing chaos within the Ikeja Electric office, prompting concerns over the safety and security of the premises.
Okotie clarified that the disconnection was not solely due to financial issues but was also prompted by other operational concerns.
He emphasized that there were significant safety concerns regarding the safety of Ikeja Electric personnel, particularly due to the high level of hostility towards staff members within the Air Force base.
“The disconnection was not just about non-payment. There are operational factors at play, including serious safety concerns for our staff.
We have faced incidents of harassment, making it increasingly difficult for our staff to work in such conditions,”Okotie explained.
NAN recalls that on March 3, NAF had raised alarms about a prolonged blackout at its Ikeja base, which had been without stable electricity for 12 days in spite of consistent payments to Ikeja Electric.
NAF had warned that the prolonged blackout was exposing sensitive military equipment, including bombs and rockets, to dangerously high temperatures, raising fears of a potential explosion.
“These bombs are not meant to be exposed to extreme heat. The longer this blackout continues, the higher the risk of an explosion,” NAF stated, making reference to the 2002 Ikeja Cantonment bomb blast.
Reacting, the IKEDC Chairman, Kola Adesina, said the dispute between NAF and IKEDC have been resolved.
He said that the Air force is owing IKEDC over four billion naira and didn’t show any commitment to offsetting the debts up till now, describing the violence as unfortunate and needless.
Similarly, Air Force AOC in Lagos, Air Vice Marshal Kola Ademuwagun says the agency has been in darkness for several weeks and described the incident as unfortunate, promising to investigate and sanction personnel involved in the rampage.
—With additional information from NAN
