The Nigerian Army has denied the report of invading the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) substation in Badagry, Lagos State.
Speaking to reporters, the acting deputy director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Olalekan Ayeni, said no staff of the EKEDC in Badagry was abducted or detained in the barracks.
According to Ayeni, the footage shared about the incident was not connected to the supposed incident in Badagry.
‘’The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to the alleged invasion of the EKO Electricity Distribution Company’s (EKEDC) substation in Badagry by soldiers of the Nigerian Army. The allegation was made during an interview conducted with the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors on 18 March 2025. The report failed to present the true picture of what transpired and, therefore, portends an attempt to mislead the public.
“In the interest of Nigerian citizens that the NA is committed to protecting, it is imperative to clarify some issues and put the records straight. The Badagry community where Topo Barracks is located has been grappling with a power outage for over one month; despite this challenge, the community in Badagry, including the barrack community, has been managing the situation in the face of repeated reassurances by the EKEDC.
“Eventually, the power supply was restored in the early hours of 14 March 2025, at about 12:30 AM. However, following the restoration, a power surge occurred, triggering a fire incident in the barracks at a facility managed by EKEDC. This caused serious panic in the barracks, and in response, the soldiers on duty immediately coordinated efforts with EKEDC personnel to contain the situation.’’
“The company’s technical staff were granted access to the barracks at about 1:00 AM to rectify the fault, and they departed around 2:30 AM after successfully addressing the issue.”
Col. Ayeni disclosed that during the repair work, an argument occurred between an EKEDC staff member and a soldier and the disagreement was settled immediately.
