The Nationwide Union of Electrical energy Staff (NUEE) has accused suspected thugs connected to the Benue State Executive of abducting and torturing employees of Jos Electrical energy Distribution Corporate (JED) Plc following the disconnection of electrical energy provide to the Executive Area in Makurdi.
The union made the allegation in a press commentary observed by way of Nairametrics and signed by way of its Performing Basic Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, following the incident reportedly performed on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
The newest allegation comes slightly a month after employees of the similar electrical energy distribution corporate (DisCo) had been allegedly assaulted by way of Nigerian Air Power group of workers in Bauchi State on September 18, elevating renewed issues over the security of electrical energy employees appearing their tasks.
NUEE alleges abduction and torture
In step with NUEE, suspected thugs armed with weapons and machetes invaded JED’s district place of work in Makurdi, claiming that the disconnection had embarrassed their most important, who had lately returned from a overseas go back and forth.
- ” The Nationwide Union of Electrical energy Staff (NUEE) condemns utterly the invasion of the Jos Electrical energy Distribution (JED) Plc Benue State Makurdi place of work by way of thugs from Benue State Executive space over the disconnection of the Executive space,” the commentary reads partly.
The union alleged that the attackers accused the employees of performing on behalf of the Secretary to the Executive of the Federation (SGF).
- “They performed this brutal and barbaric motion towards blameless employees for the reason that Executive Area was once disconnected because of the invention of meter bypass by way of govt space officers.”
NUEE additional alleged that the attackers kidnapped JED’s Benue State Running Officer, Samson Abah, along different workers, and took them to the River Benue bridge, the place they had been assaulted.
The union claimed that the attackers confiscated the employees’ telephones and private property, demanded cash for his or her free up and forced them to revive electrical energy to the Executive Area thru a transformer it described as illegally put in.
- “We vehemently reject this steady danger to the lives of Electrical energy Employees around the Nation and provocation by way of consumers particularly from govt establishments.”
The union demanded clinical remedy for the affected workers, alternative in their stolen property, an apology from the Benue State Governor and motion towards the ones accountable.
It additionally warned that individuals may just avoid the affected place of work indefinitely until JED control supplied ok assurances regarding their protection.
The allegations towards people connected to the Benue State Executive have no longer been independently established.
JED employees confronted earlier attack allegations
The newest building follows a identical disagreement involving JED employees and Nigerian Air Power group of workers in Bauchi State on September 18, 2026.
- JED had alleged that army group of workers invaded its Bauchi place of work, assaulted workers and forcibly restored electrical energy to Air Power residential quarters when they had been disconnected over unpaid expenses.
The distribution corporate mentioned the affected amenities owed roughly N196.7 million, with the disconnection performed on September 14 following extended non-payment.
Disputes involving govt establishments and electrical energy vendors have additionally came about in different places in Nigeria.
- In August 2024, Nairametrics reported that Kaduna Electrical energy Distribution Corporate disconnected electrical energy provide to the Kaduna State Executive Area and different public amenities over exceptional expenses amounting to N2.9 billion.
The corporate mentioned the verdict adopted unsuccessful efforts to get better the debt thru negotiations with the state govt.
In the meantime, the most recent dispute comes as electrical energy customers in portions of Lagos and Abuja face provide disruptions.
On October 19, Ikeja Electrical attributed diminished electrical energy supply across its network to inadequate power allocation from the national grid, whilst Abuja Electrical energy Distribution Corporate (AEDC) reported technical faults affecting a number of communities within the Federal Capital Territory.
DisCos fight with income restoration
Past disputes over disconnections, Nigeria’s electrical energy distribution corporations proceed to fight with income restoration and billing inefficiencies.
- In step with the Nigerian Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (NERC), DisCos recovered N205.53 billion from the N250.79 billion charged to consumers in July 2026, leaving N45.26 billion outstanding.
This represented a suite potency of 81.95%, highlighting the trade’s proceeding issue in recuperating bills for electrical energy equipped.
For all the 2025 monetary yr, distribution corporations had been not able to get better N669.49 billion in electricity charges already billed to customers, in keeping with NERC’s annual trade document.
The power gaps between electrical energy equipped, quantities billed and bills accumulated proceed to weaken the monetary place of DisCos and their capability to fulfill duties throughout Nigeria’s electrical energy worth chain.