Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has vowed to investigate the circumstances that led to the invasion of Ikeja Electric on Thursday and impose sanctions on the officers involved in the act.
Making this known at a press conference, the Air Officer Commanding ,AOC, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal ,AVM, Adeniran Kolade Ademuwagun,said, “We will investigate what happened and impose appropriate sanctions. The Nigerian Air Force takes the safety of citizens very seriously, and Ikeja Electric should continue providing services without fear of disturbance”.
Apologising to the the management of Ikeja Electric, Ademuwagun described the invasion as unfortunate and emphasised that the Nigerian Air Force remains committed to upholding discipline among its personnel and ensuring that officers operate under strict professional conduct.
According to him, NAF values its relationship with civilian institutions and will take decisive steps to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
He said:“The dialogue with Ikeja Electric has been fruitful, and we will continue to work on ensuring our men remain under positive control. The Nigerian Air Force is a disciplined force, and any action that undermines our integrity will not be tolerated”.
He reassured the public of the military’s responsibility to protect citizens rather than intimidate them.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ikeja Electric, Kola Adesina, disclosed that at least 10 staff members were wounded while company assets were vandalised or taken away.
“About 200 staff were on-site when the incident occurred. Reports confirmed that 10 individuals were brutalised, and several office assets were destroyed or removed”, Adesina said.
He described the attack as unwarranted and distressing, adding that the development had psychological and physical impact on affected employees.
“It was a terrible experience for our staff, and it disrupted our operations significantly”, he said, adding, “We are grateful that the leadership of the Air Force has responded swiftly, and we believe that justice will be served”.
Adesina further disclosed that the invasion was linked to a long-standing debt dispute between the Nigerian Air Force and Ikeja Electric. He stated that an agreement had been reached regarding the N4 billion owed to the electricity distribution company.
“As an organisation, we have been owed a significant sum over N4 billion which we have struggled to recover. We have been in discussions about this for some time, and while some payments have been made, the process has been slow”, he explained.
He noted that despite the financial challenges posed by the outstanding debt, Ikeja Electric had continued to provide services to the Air Force and other essential institutions.
“We recognise the importance of the Air Force and its role in national security. However, electricity services must be paid for, as we also have obligations to meet”, Adesina added.
During the engagement, Ikeja Electric officials visited the Air Force base, where they were briefed on the critical electricity supply challenges facing the facility.
He acknowledged the import of ensuring stable power supply to military installations, stating that discussions were ongoing to find a sustainable solution.
“We were not only briefed on the unfortunate situation but also shown the critical state of their infrastructure. It was made clear why it is important for them to have stable electricity supply”, he said.
He reiterated that while Ikeja Electric is willing to collaborate with the military on power solutions, outstanding debts must be addressed to ensure continued service delivery.
