N4bn Debt: Air Force Personnel Storm IKEDC, Assault PUNCH Reporter, Others

The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) has raised alarm over an invasion of its headquarters by officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) from the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday.

The armed personnel, who also assaulted PUNCH journalist Dare Olawin and other media professionals, stormed the premises after the expiration of an ultimatum demanding the restoration of electricity to their base. The power supply had been disconnected due to an outstanding debt of N4 billion.

According to reports, the soldiers arrived at IKEDC headquarters in military trucks and OP-MESA vehicles around 7:40 am, blocking roads and taking over the premises for over one and a half hours. During the raid, they brutalized staff, confiscated phones, laptops, CCTV cameras, and other equipment, and forcefully took away engineers and drivers to reconnect their base to the national grid.

IKEDC spokesperson Kingsley Okotie confirmed that the disconnection followed years of unpaid bills, stating that despite attempts to reach a payment agreement, the Air Force had failed to settle its outstanding debt. He accused the military of treating electricity as an entitlement, adding that their unpaid bills hinder service delivery to other communities in need of transformers and infrastructure improvements.

He also revealed that top officers of the Air Force base had attempted to illegally reconnect their supply through the airport electricity feeder following the disconnection.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the attack, calling it a threat to democracy and urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

When contacted, Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, stated that the issue was being addressed and promised an official statement. However, no statement had been released as of the time of this report.