Again, Soldiers storm Eko Disco, torture, abduct staffs

For the second time in recent months, military personnel in Nigeria have been accused of assaulting electricity distribution workers over power supply issues.

In the early hours of March 14, 2025, soldiers from the Nigerian Army’s 15th Field Engineers Regiment in Topo Town, Badagry, allegedly stormed the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco) Badagry Injection Substation and abducted two workers.

According to Sunday Oduntan, Managing Director of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), the soldiers took the Distribution System Operator (DSO) and a Proton Security Officer to their barracks, where they were beaten before being released around 4 a.m.

“Thei complain claim was poor electricity supply to their barracks in the last one week, despite the fact that their Commanding Officer, Lt Col S. Lawan, was duly informed of the ongoing Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) upgrade in Agbara,” Oduntan explained.

He added that power restoration was attempted, but the feeder tripped due to excessive load.

This incident comes after a similar attack by personnel from the Nigerian Air Force Base in Ikeja, Lagos, on workers of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ikeja Electric).

That attack, reportedly over the disconnection of power to the base, led to the vandalisation of Ikeja Electric’s head office and the brutalisation of staff.