The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors has called on the Nigerian Air Force, the military, and the presidency to identify and punish the officers from Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, who attacked staff and journalists at Ikeja Electric on Thursday.
The association said it would continue to push for justice until all those brutalised by the armed officers at the IKEDC headquarters in Alausa, Lagos, receive fair treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, expressed anger over the attack, stressing that the military must be held accountable.
“I want to believe that we’re in a sane country. I still want to believe that we’re better than we were in 1978 when Fela’s house was invaded. We want to see what the presidency and military authorities will do because, normally, heads must roll,” Oduntan said during an interview on TVC on Friday.
He revealed that the Ikeja Air Force Base owes a debt of N4.3bn to Ikeja Electric, and there has been no effort to settle the amount.
According to Oduntan, the attack was like a coup against all electricity distribution companies in the country, adding that political leaders must treat the situation with the seriousness it deserves.
“For people to leave Ikeja Air Force Base fully armed in trucks, to go somewhere and start beating civilians, making them lie down on the floor of the Air Force base, more than a hundred people, and beating them repeatedly, someone must pay for this,” he stated.
He warned that if the military is not held accountable, similar attacks could happen again on a larger scale, possibly targeting government institutions.
“What the Air Force did to us yesterday was like a coup against Ikeja Electric. Unless these people are brought out and we receive justice, I can assure you they will do it again, and it will be worse,” he added.
Oduntan also accused the officers of taking away the company’s database to prevent the incident from being captured on CCTV.
“They didn’t want us to see their faces from the CCTV, so they took the database away. There must be full restoration,” he said.
The Area Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshall AK Ademulegun, visited the IKEDC office after the incident and promised to investigate the matter.
However, Oduntan insisted that Ademulegun could not claim ignorance of the attack and demanded that those responsible be exposed and punished.
“We need assurance of our safety, not just words from an AVM after his officers came to attack us. The President must react, and the military must handle this matter openly and transparently,” he stressed.
The association has vowed to pursue the case until justice is done and the culprits are held accountable.
