Armed personnel from the Nigerian Air Force Base in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, stormed the headquarters of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), assaulting workers and a journalist following a dispute over a prolonged power outage at the base.
A PUNCH Newspapers correspondent, Dare Olawin, was among those attacked during the incident.
Reports indicate rising tensions between IKEDC and the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base after the base was disconnected from power supply two weeks ago over an outstanding debt running into millions of naira.
It was gathered that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had reached an agreement to pay IKEDC ₦60 million monthly to guarantee a daily electricity supply of 10 to 12 hours. However, with the base remaining in darkness, concerns grew over its security and operational risks.
In response, a group of military personnel, allegedly led by a female officer, stormed the IKEDC office opposite MITV in Ikeja around 7:40 a.m., reportedly assaulting staff and other individuals in sight.
The attack, which lasted over an hour and a half, saw roads leading to the office blocked, preventing any intervention. Videos from the scene showed employees being forced to kneel while others were physically assaulted. Office equipment, including printers and CCTV cameras, were also vandalized.
The military personnel later left the premises with IKEDC engineers and drivers, reportedly forcing them to reconnect power to the barracks.
PUNCH journalist Dare Olawin, who was at the IKEDC office for an assignment, was also attacked along with a TVC cameraman and another reporter.
Recounting his ordeal, Olawin said the soldiers beat him, made him sit on the floor, and confiscated his Android phone, small Itel phone, and power bank, threatening to shoot him if he spoke up.
“I was seriously beaten,” he told Daily Trust.
As of press time, the Head of Corporate Communications at Ikeja Electric, Kingsley Okotie, had not responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
