Despite two separate attacks on electricity workers in Lagos State by military personnel in quick succession, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has expressed commitment to upholding the rule of law.
The DHQ's statement followed reports that soldiers stormed the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) substation in Badagry, Lagos, assaulting and abducting two staff members over a power outage at their base.
A similar incident was recorded at the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), where armed Nigerian Air Force personnel allegedly attacked workers after their base was disconnected due to unpaid electricity bills.
Military faults criticism
In a statement on Thursday, the Director of Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, criticised a newspaper editorial that accused the military of impunity, describing the report as unfair and lacking balance.
"The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to the verdict of guilt placed on the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) by the editorial of a certain popular newspaper.
"Given the esteem and critical roles of the journalism profession to the development of our dear country, it would have been more appropriate and in compliance with professional ethics to fact-check from the military hierarchy before placing a guilty verdict on the Armed Forces," Mr Gusau, a major general, said.
Downplaying the soldier's attack, Mr Gusau dismissed the claims as exaggerated, arguing that the reported cases were isolated incidents in Lagos and should not be generalised.
"To paint the picture to the general public as if this is a daily occurrence across the nation is not fair enough," he stated.
The military, he added, has internal disciplinary mechanisms, including the Military Police and Intelligence Corps, to investigate and sanction erring personnel.
"The AFN, in its resolve to ensure zero tolerance for indiscipline, has standby Court Marshals in all its formations to try erring personnel," he said.
Minister condemns attacks
Reacting to the growing concerns, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, condemned the attacks and warned that the military must not interfere with electricity distribution companies' operations.
"These attacks on our workers are unacceptable," Adelabu said. "The Nigerian military must respect the rule of law and follow due process if they have concerns about power supply. No institution is above the law."
The minister urged security agencies to investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
"The government is committed to improving power supply, but intimidation and violence will not solve the challenges in the sector," he added.
EKEDC insists workers were attacked
EKEDC, however, maintained that its staff were attacked and abducted by soldiers who stormed its Badagry facility around 1 a.m. on Friday.
"The soldiers attacked our office at night. They went to one of our stations in Badagry and picked up two of our staff. Though they released them latthe er that day, the fact that they went there and abducted our workers is unfortunate," EKEDC spokesperson Babatunde Lasaki told Punch newspaper.
He said the soldiers returned during the day, issuing threats and demanding that power be restored to their barracks.
"Our workers tried to explain that the outage was due to a fault, not deliberate, but they continued to harass our staff," he said.
EKEDC has reported the attack to the police and is preparing petitions to the Chief of Army Staff, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Power.
"This is becoming a trend because a similar attack recently happened at Ikeja Electric, and no one was held accountable," Mr Lasaki said.
Nigerian Army describes incident as 'misunderstanding'
The Nigerian Army's Director of Information, Onyema Nwachukwu, dismissed reports of an attack, describing the incident as a "misunderstanding" following a fire outbreak.
"I've reached out to the unit to confirm your report. Contrary to what you have, no EKEDC staff was detained by soldiers," Mr Nwachukwu, also a major general, said.
"During the response efforts, a minor misunderstanding arose between a company staff member and one of the soldiers, but it was promptly resolved amicably. Additionally, I understand the unit's leadership and the company's management have consistently maintained a strong and cordial relationship, which remains unchanged."
Mr Nwachukwu added that the unit's commanding officer has set up a board of inquiry to investigate the cause of the fire.
Pattern of military aggression against electricity workers
The EKEDC's incident followed a similar military invasion of IKEDC facilities on 6 March.
Armed Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel from Sam Ethnan Air Force Base allegedly stormed IKEDC's headquarters, attacking staff and journalists after the company disconnected power to the base over unpaid electricity bills.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Air Force Base owed IKEDC N4.34 billion as of March 2025.
IKEDC said that despite repeated payment demands, the Air Force allegedly ignored efforts to install prepaid meters or implement an auto-recloser system, which would regulate power based on payment patterns.
The company also alleged that the Air Force personnel tampered with its infrastructure multiple times, disconnecting communication cables and sabotaging equipment.
Violation of Nigerian laws
The trends of attacks against electricity workers are multiple violations of the Nigerian Constitution and criminal laws.
The alleged abduction and harassment of EKEDC staff contravene Section 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees dignity and prohibits inhumane treatment.
It also breaches Section 35(1), which guarantees personal liberty.
Additionally, under the Criminal Code Act, assault, unlawful restraint, and kidnapping are offences. The soldiers' actions--forcefully detaining staff and allegedly torturing them--could be classified as kidnapping and assault, both punishable under Nigerian law.
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The Armed Forces Act also prohibits military personnel from engaging in unauthorised civilian affairs. Attacking a power distribution company over a civil matter constitutes an abuse of military authority.
Call for accountability
The Executive Director of Research and Advocacy for the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, condemned both incidents, warning that military aggression against DisCos was escalating.
"Their claim was poor electricity supply to their barracks in the last one week, even though their Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. S. Lawan, was duly informed of the ongoing Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) upgrade in Agbara," he said.
IKEDC has refused to restore power to the Air Force Base, insisting that electricity will remain disconnected until all debts are paid.
Despite multiple attempts, the Nigerian Air Force has not issued any official statement regarding the attack on IKEDC.
Power sector workers demand justice
Power sector experts and human rights groups have urged the government to hold military personnel accountable for these attacks, warning that continued impunity could lead to more aggression against civilian institutions.
"Until the authorities take decisive action, these attacks will continue," Mr Lasaki said.
