“Nigerian Soldiers Allegedly Assault Eko DisCo Workers Over Power Supply Issues, Raising Safety Concerns”
By Springs News NG Media Limited, March 18, 2025
According to reports, in the early hours of March 14, 2025, soldiers from the 15th Field Engineers Regiment in Topo Town, Badagry, allegedly stormed the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko DisCo) Badagry Injection Substation and abducted two employees.
Sunday Oduntan, Managing Director of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), revealed that the armed personnel forcibly took a Distribution System Operator (DSO) and a Proton Security Officer to their barracks, where they were beaten before being released at around 4 a.m.
“Their reason was poor electricity supply to their barracks over the past week, despite the fact that their commanding officer, Lt. Col. S. Lawan, had been informed of the ongoing Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) upgrade in Agbara,” Oduntan explained. He added that while efforts were made to restore power, the feeder tripped due to excess load.
This attack follows a similar incident involving Nigerian Air Force personnel in Ikeja, Lagos. That altercation, which stemmed from the disconnection of power to the base, saw soldiers vandalizing Ikeja Electric’s head office and assaulting its staff.
These repeated attacks have sparked outrage within the power sector, with stakeholders calling on the Nigerian government and military authorities to take urgent measures to prevent further assaults on electricity workers. The industry insists that resolving power disputes through dialogue, rather than violence, is critical to ensuring uninterrupted service and the safety of its workforce.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Nigerian Army regarding the latest incident.
