Nigeria’s electricity sector is facing fresh uncertainty after the National Union of Electricity Employees threatened a nationwide shutdown, following what it says was a violent attack on staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria in Imo State.
According to the union, armed police officers stormed the Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation near Owerri, allegedly beating workers, holding them at gunpoint, vandalising equipment and abducting some of the staff on duty.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday and has sparked outrage within the power sector, with the union insisting it will not hesitate to halt electricity supply across the country if workers’ safety is not guaranteed.
In a statement issued late Saturday, NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, described the incident as a “brutal invasion”, accusing the officers of acting on behalf of the Imo State government.
He said the police forced their way into the control room, compelled operators to carry out an illegal outage, destroyed personal belongings including phones and laptops, and damaged CCTV cameras.
The union claims some staff were taken to an undisclosed location and has demanded their immediate release. It is also asking for compensation for all damaged property and full medical attention for the assaulted workers. Until assurances of safety are provided by the Federal Ministry of Power, the Inspector General of Police, and TCN management, the union says its members in Imo State will remain away from work, warning that a nationwide shutdown could follow if the matter is not resolved urgently.
The Imo State Police Command has denied the allegations. Police spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye said preliminary investigations show no evidence that TCN workers were abducted or forced to disconnect power.
He described the incident as an operational disagreement between the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company and the Orashi Electricity Distribution Company, adding that the chairman of the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission was present to mediate.
The Commissioner of Police has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out a full inquiry into the incident, while assuring that the facility is now secure and that electricity personnel can perform their duties safely.
The federal government has yet to issue a formal response, but the threat of a nationwide blackout looms if the dispute is not resolved quickly.