Personnel of the Nigerian Military have invaded the offices of Ikeja Electric, a major electricity distribution company in Lagos State.
The Guardian gathered that uniformed military personnel forced their way into the Ikeja Electric office on Ago Palace Way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos, disrupting operations and intimidating staff.
Videos obtained by our correspondent show armed military personnel storming the premises, forcing several employees to kneel while assaulting others.
🚨 BREAKING: Armed military personnel storm Ikeja Electric offices in Lagos, assaulting workers and paralyzing operations. The shocking incident occurred at the Okota office and has left staff fearing for their safety.
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Sources told NEWS BULLETIN that a similar military invasion occurred at Ikeja Electric’s head office in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The incident follows Ikeja Electric’s recent disconnection of power to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) logistics base in Ikeja, reportedly due to unpaid electricity bills. The power cut has left the base without electricity for two weeks, sparking tensions between the two entities.
A source at Ikeja Electric, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, said many employees have gone into hiding, while several who reported for work on Thursday remain unreachable.
“I’ve been trying to contact our managers, but their numbers are unreachable. It’s likely they’ve been attacked by military personnel,” the source said. “This is unheard of, unlawful, and disgraceful—that the military can invade company offices in a civil society.”
The conflict stems from Ikeja Electric’s disconnection of the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja over an unpaid debt running into millions of naira.
Sources revealed that the Nigerian Air Force had an agreement to pay ₦60 million monthly for 10 to 12 hours of daily electricity supply. However, power to the base was cut after Ikeja Electric claimed payments were not being fulfilled.
A military source, however, contends that the prolonged blackout is jeopardizing security at the base. The situation is especially critical at an operational warehouse storing high-caliber armaments, where rising temperatures due to failed cooling systems pose significant risks.
Despite the growing crisis, Ikeja Electric offices remained shut at the time of filing this report.
