By Emmanuel Antswen
Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) Plc has condemned the invasion of its office in Makurdi and accussed a group of youths of assaulting personnel and taking away vehicles and technical equipment.
The company made the allegations on Thursday in statement signed by Mrs Saratu Dauda, Public Relations Officer, JED and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.
According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 1:17 p.m. on Wednesday, when about 50 persons who identified themselves as Benue youths allegedly forced their way into the company’s office.
She said the group confronted the state management team over operational and administrative issues.
Their allegations also bordered on the connection of the Government House to a refurbished 2MVA 33/11kV transformer supplying the Government House and the State House of Assembly.
JED Plc alleged that the youths assaulted some members of staff, abducted 10 personnel, and took away four vehicles and various technical tools.
The statement said the affected personnel and property were released at about 5:45 p.m. following the reconnection of the transformer.
The company added that several other staff members sustained serious injuries during the incident.
The company also recalled a similar incident on Sept. 3, when some of its staff members conducting a routine inspection were allegedly held hostage at the Government House after detecting a meter bypass on the premises.
According to the statement, the personnel were forced to reconnect the bypassed meter before they were released.
She said the issue had remained unresolved despite several attempts to communicate with officials of the state government.
JED Plc said the latest incident had been reported to the relevant security agencies, adding that it would cooperate with them to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and prevent a recurrence.
While acknowledging the importance of maintaining cordial relationships with government institutions and host communities, the company said disputes were best resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the Benue Government and other stakeholders to resolve the issues amicably in the interest of electricity consumers and the people of the state.
However, the Benue Government has rejected allegations by Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED) linking it to violence, abduction and illegal electricity connections, describing the claims as baseless and defamatory.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Solomon Iorpev, said JED provided no credible evidence implicating the government in the October 21 incident.
The government described transformer energisation and metering disputes as regulatory matters requiring resolution through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and courts, where necessary.
He further demanded JED’s immediate retraction of the allegations and a formal apology, warning that it would pursue legal remedies if the company continued disseminating false claims.(NAN)
