The Nigerian Air Power (NAF) has but to concern an announcement since Thursday following studies that personnel from the Sam Ethnan Air Power Base in Ikeja allegedly assaulted and harassed employees of the Ikeja Electrical energy Distribution Firm (IKEDC). The incident occurred after the corporate disconnected the facility provide to the bottom.
Background
After the Ikeja Electrical Distribution Firm (IKEDC) disconnected the feeder line, a protracted energy outage, lasting over two weeks, affected the Sam Ethnan Air Power Base and surrounding communities.
This drastic measure was taken as a result of the Air Power had important unpaid electrical energy payments regardless of a previous settlement for a set month-to-month cost.
IKEDC’s motion, applied after failed makes an attempt to disconnect the bottom immediately, has reportedly raised severe safety considerations as a result of the bottom’s armament warehouse requires fixed cooling.
Navy invasion and assault
On Thursday morning, armed Air Power personnel stormed the IKEDC headquarters in Lagos, attacking employees and journalists current.
PREMIUM TIMES obtained a video that captured the second over 100 totally armed officers arrived in navy vans from the Sam Ethnan Air Power Base.
Talking on Come up Tv on Friday, Sunday Oduntan, chief government officer of the Affiliation of Nigerian Electrical energy Distributors (ANED), condemned the assault, describing it as “a surprising show of navy aggression.”
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“We’re very, very traumatised,” Mr Oduntan mentioned. “The navy stormed the premises, brutalising everybody in sight, together with pregnant ladies. They compelled staff to lie on the bottom and assaulted them. Among the many injured is the Chief Technical Officer of Ikeja Electrical, who stays hospitalised.”
Debt dispute: Over N4 billion owed
Information present that the Air Power Base gathered about N7.56 billion in electrical energy payments between 2013 and 2022 however paid solely N4.3 billion, leaving a deficit of N3.2 billion.
In 2023, the bottom was billed N1.4 billion however paid N1.2 billion. By 2024, the invoice had elevated to N1.5 billion, however solely N623 million was paid. This introduced the entire excellent debt to N4.34 billion as of March 2025.
Regardless of repeated calls for for cost, IKEDC alleges that the Air Power refused to clear its arrears, although funds had been reportedly allotted for the aim.
IKEDC tried to implement an auto-recloser—a tool that regulates energy provide based mostly on cost patterns—however Air Vice Marshal A.Okay. Ademulegun allegedly rejected the proposal, insisting on 24-hour electrical energy regardless of non-payment.
When the IKEDC proposed putting in pay as you go meters, the Air Power allegedly ignored official requests and denied IKEDC entry to put in them in December 2024.
Accusations of sabotage
IKEDC additionally accused the Air Power of vandalising its infrastructure. Navy personnel allegedly tampered with an auto-recloser system twice, disconnecting communication cables in an act of sabotage.
Since then, the electrical energy firm has written a number of letters to the Chief of Air Employees and AOC Logistics, demanding accountability and instant cost of excellent money owed.
Name for justice
Mr Oduntan condemned the show of drive, calling it an instance of unchecked navy impunity.
“This should cease. If an establishment just like the Nigerian Military in Ikeja may resolve its electrical energy debt via dialogue, why is the Air Power resorting to violence?” he mentioned.
IKEDC reported that not less than 15 employees members had been injured and had been receiving therapy at numerous hospitals.
The corporate’s company headquarters was reportedly vandalised, and navy personnel allegedly seized laptops, cameras, and IT infrastructure to forestall the unfold of knowledge.
Kingsley Okotie, head of company communications at IKEDC, shared a video of the destruction with this newspaper on Friday.
“They beat us, harassed us, and destroyed our workplace,” Mr Okotie mentioned. “Even journalists weren’t spared. A Punch reporter and a TVC reporter had their cameras seized. They took 15 of our operational autos and kidnapped the drivers at gunpoint earlier than finally releasing them.”
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Ongoing energy outage
Regardless of the assault, IKEDC has refused to revive energy to the Air Power Base, sustaining that electrical energy will stay disconnected till excellent money owed are paid.
“We’re in a democracy, but they gave us a 48-hour ultimatum to reconnect them,” Mr Okotie mentioned. “However they won’t even permit our employees entry to disconnect them manually. If we go in there, they are going to kill us. This type of lawlessness should finish.”
This newspaper reviewed all official communication channels of the Nigerian Air Power, however no assertion has but been issued concerning the incident.
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