Nigeria’s power supply may be headed for a major disruption as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened a nationwide shutdown following an alleged violent attack on staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at the Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation in Imo State.
The union claims armed police officers, reportedly acting on the orders of the Imo State government, stormed the facility, assaulted workers, held them at gunpoint, and abducted some staff during the operation. In response, NUEE has ordered its members to halt power supply operations in Imo State indefinitely.
According to the union, the officers forcibly entered the control rooms, vandalised equipment, destroyed staff belongings—including phones, laptops, and vehicles—and damaged CCTV installations. Workers on duty were allegedly compelled at gunpoint to carry out an “illegal outage.”
In a statement issued late Saturday, NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, condemned the incident, describing it as “gangsterism and unprofessional conduct” by security operatives.
The statement reads in part:
“These officers invaded the Egbu Transmission Substation, forcibly disconnected power under duress, brutalised our members, and abducted workers to an unknown location. We demand their immediate release, full replacement of damaged property, and a written undertaking guaranteeing staff safety.”
The union further directed all members to stay away from their duty posts until their safety is assured, warning that failure to meet their demands may result in a nationwide withdrawal of services.
Police Deny Abduction Claims
Reacting to the outrage, the Imo State Police Command dismissed allegations of assault, hostage-taking, or abduction. The Command described the incident as an “operational disagreement” between the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and the Orashi Electricity Distribution Company.
Police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, said preliminary investigations revealed no evidence that TCN workers were held hostage or forced to disconnect power. He stated that the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full investigation to uncover the facts surrounding the incident.
According to the police, the chairman of the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) was present during the disagreement and efforts are ongoing to resolve the issues.
The police assured residents that the situation is under control and that measures have been put in place to protect critical infrastructure across the state.
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