Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company logo
By Akeem Atoyebi
Tension rent the air Thursday morning as military men stormed the headquarters of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company and its Oshodi business unit to retaliate over the alleged disconnection of power supply to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Lagos.
Reports have it that the soldiers allegedly forced their way into the company headquarters opposite MITV in Ikeja, Lagos around about 7:40 am.
Similar development took place at the Ikeja Electric office on Ago Palace Way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos
In a video which has gone viral, military personnel were seen totting arms within the premises while more than seven staff members knelt down and others assaulted.
The invasion came on the heels of growing tensions between Ikeja Electric and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) over the disconnection of power supply to the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja.
A national newspaper on Wednesday reported that the base had been without electricity for two weeks after Ikeja Electric cut off supply due to unpaid debts amounting to millions of naira.
It was learnt that an agreement had been in place for the NAF to pay ₦60 million monthly to guarantee 10 to 12 hours of electricity supply daily.
However, some military officials claimed the power disconnection was compromising the base’s security, particularly affecting an operational warehouse storing high-caliber armaments.
Despite this, sources within Ikeja Electric insisted that the Air Force failed to meet its financial obligations, leading to the disconnection.
The attack has instilled fear among Ikeja Electric employees, with many reportedly in hiding. Some workers have also refused to resume duty, fearing further aggression.
“I’ve been trying to reach our managers. Their numbers have been unreachable, and most likely, they have been attacked by the military guys,” a staff member said.
“This is unheard of, unlawful, and disgraceful—that the military can invade the offices of companies in a civil society.”
Meanwhile, confirming the development, Kingsley Okotie, spokesperson for IKEDC, said the NAF personnel vandalised the company’s office, “assaulted” staff members, and made away with several company assets.
“It happened this morning from the Nigerian Air Force, Sam Ethnan Barracks, Ikeja. They are owing us over N4 billion, they were disconnected, and this is what we got,” Okotie said.
“They came, they invaded our offices, our CHQ. As I speak with you now, I have a fractured leg. They molested and assaulted our staff. They went away with about 16 of our vehicles with our drivers driving them at one point,” he said.
“They destroyed all our offices, stole laptops, phones, destroyed all our IT infrastructure, blinded
all the cameras CCTV.
“Luckily, they couldn’t arrest the CEO, but they were looking vehemently for her.”
Okotie said Folake Soetan, IKEDC chief executive officer, had to hide .
