•We’ve been discussing debt settlement for 7 years — Chairman
•Base runs essential services, water supply to the Base community — Air Commodore
•Despite debt, we exercised restraint to disconnect supply — IE, CEO

By Udeme Akpan;Victor Ahiuma-Young; Evelyn Usman & Ediri Ejoh

Following the attack on Ikeja Electricity Disco by Air Force personnel last Thursday, fifteen wounded staff of the company were receiving treatment in some hospitals yesterday even as the office was deserted while electricity was yet to be restored at NAF’s base.

This is just as the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, denounced the attack where scores of employees were brutalized and properties destroyed.

A senior official of the company, who ruled out the taking of photographs for security reasons, said: “As of yesterday over 15 personnel of Ikeja Disco were undergoing treatment at various hospitals (undisclosed location).” He also said: “Business is not fully operational. The Union has asked members to stay away, if they feel uncomfortable and unsafe to work.”

Reacting to the development, Chairman of Ikeja Disco, Kola Adesina, said the N4 billion indebtedness of the Airforce has affected operations, adding that efforts to resolve the issue did not yield fruits for seven years.

We have been discussing debt settlement for 7 years — Chairman

He said: “We are being owed a significant chunk of money, about N4 billion. We’ve been discussing this for about seven years. Somehow, the money wasn’t coming through. As a distribution company, we have the responsibility to collect and remit money into a common account for the settlement of all value chain players, including the gas suppliers, the transmission company of Nigeria and other critical market participants.

“Of course, that has led to liability in our books that we’ve been carrying in our balance sheet and it has made us a bankrupt organization so to speak. Somehow, we’ve been riding the wave but it’s very difficult and challenging.” Checks by Vanguard showed that the Ikeja DisCo and Airforce have exchanged various correspondences, which did not culminate in payment.

IKEDC’s office deserted

The corporate headquarters of the Ikeja Electricity Disco in Alausa, Ikeja area of Lagos which used to be a bustling hub of activity, stood eerily quiet yesterday, with only a handful of staff members brave enough to report for duty.

The stark contrast was a reflection of the lingering fear and trauma that still gripped the staff after Thursday’s invasion by personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF Logistic Command. The NAF personnel’s action was fuelled by a two-week power outage at their base.

However, as at 9am yesterday, power was yet to be restored at the AirForcr Base.

Despite assurances of the Air Officer Commanding AOC Logistic Command, AVM Adeniran Ademuwagun , who visited the scene on Thursday evening, that no harm would befall the staff again, they( staff) expressed doubt over their safety.

The trauma of the attack was still fresh, as some staff members who spoke with Saturday Vanguard said they were still nursing the physical and emotional injuries sustained during the chaos. Some of them said they were yet to recover their laptops, phones, installation boxes and other items the invading personnel carted away.

One of them, a woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said “ My office is located on the second floor. The invasion was a terrifying experience. I thought we were under attack by armed thugs. In the heat of the moment,I fell and had bruises on my knee. Some of our colleagues sprained their ankles. The physical pain is still evident. I am still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. That personnel of the Nigerian Air Force could invade a privately owned company in such a manner, when we are not in a Military regime, still baffles my imagination on where we are as a democratic nation “.

In a telephone conversation with the Public Relations Officer, Kingsley Okotie, he said he could not go to the office yesterday because he was still treating his sprained ankle. He also confirmed that most of his colleagues who did not show up at work yesterday , were taking care of themselves medically.

He said “ I am limping .I am not even at home. I am taking care of myself medically, like some other colleagues. The office is scanty, people are scared and traumatized. We have asked those traumatised to get medical help instead of forcing themselves to resume because the place is not safe. What is the assurance that they will not come again”.

He also confirmed that “ We have not restored power. We can not restore under duress. They went away with some installations, laptops and phones. I sprained an ankle while trying to take over. They ransacked from ground floor to the fifth floor, went to the adjoining offices behind, they took my laptop and phones. They broke into offices that were not open. Items taken away have not been returned”, he said.

NECA decries Air Force personnel’s impunity

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, in a statement by its Director General, DG, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, called on the Federal Government to set up a committee to carry out a holistic appraisal of electricity supply debt profiles of other military bases across the country with a view to clearing such debts where they exist.

The statement reads : “On Thursday 6th March 2025, Airforce personnel from the Sam Ethan Airforce Base Ikeja attacked Ikeja Electric office at Isolo and the head office at Alausa Ikeja. As a result several of the employees that were on duty were injured and brutalized, while the properties of the company were damaged.

“The attack was precipitated by the disconnection of electricity supply to the Base by Ikeja electric over unpaid electricity consumed, which runs into millions of Naira. The gory development has evoked the reactions of various stakeholders of the economy, particularly as the attack bordered on the quality of Nigeria’s democratic governance, which is a critical factor for investment inflow into the country.

“NECA frowns at the development. Such action is unlawful and capable of diminishing the headways made in democratic governance in the country over the years. Such an intimidation and attack on a company of the caliber of Ikeja Electric shows a high level of impunity and is a bad omen for the future of the economy.
“The attack is a wrong signal for prospective domestic and foreign investors, stating that no rational investor would invest money in a country where his investments and personnel are compromised with such impunity as displayed by the Airforce personnel from Ikeja Airforce Base.

“It is unfortunate that while the Federal Government is working effortlessly to address the basic macroeconomic goals of growth of the economy and employment creation, some individuals are unscrupulously and deliberately undermining the efforts.

“The Ikeja Electric is a private entity that invests money to make gains for the sustainability of the company.

The company is also a strong employment generator with over 2, 600 employees that depend on the company to maintain their families. “Ikeja Electric as a private business was lawfully registered in Nigeria and has the right to demand from the Sam Ethan Airforce Base management accumulated outstanding electricity debt owed to the company and also suspend its service for non-payment.

“The urgency and critical importance to prevent the recurrence of such national embarrassment in view of the negative implication on the promising democracy of the country and the fragile investment space.

“We urge the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Ministry of Defence to swiftly intervene in this graceless attack on Ikeja Electric such that the amount owed to the company will be paid to the company, while electricity supply is restored to the Base.

“Ikeja Electric operates in a capital intensive space and that the operation has been grossly affected by the prevailing operating environment.

“We also call on the Federal Government to also leverage this attack to set up a Committee to carry out a holistic appraisal of electricity supply debt profiles of other military bases across the country. Where such debt is found, arrangements should be made to swiftly defray them to adequately preclude a repeat of the attack on the DisCos anywhere in the country going forward.”