On Thursday, air force personnel invaded the power company’s headquarters in Lagos over the disconnection of electricity at Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, Lagos state.

Kingsley Okotie, spokesperson for IKEDC, said the NAF personnel vandalised the company’s office, assaulted employees, and made away with several company assets.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Adeniran Ademuwagun, the air officer commanding (AOC) logistics command, said sanctions would be imposed on the officers who perpetrated in the act.

“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,” he said.

Ademuwagun apologised to the management of Ikeja Electric and described the invasion as unfortunate.

He said the air force remains committed to upholding discipline among its personnel and ensuring that officers operate under strict professional conduct.

“The dialogue with Ikeja Electric has been fruitful, and we will continue to work on ensuring our men remain under positive control,” he said.

“The Nigerian Air Force is a disciplined force, and any action that undermines our integrity will not be tolerated.”

Also speaking at the press briefing, Kola Adesina, chairman of Ikeja Electric, said at least 10 members of staff were injured 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.

“It was a terrible experience for our staff, and it disrupted our operations significantly. We are grateful that the leadership of the Air Force has responded swiftly, and we believe that justice will be served.”

Adesina added that the invasion was linked to a long-standing debt dispute, relaying that an agreement has 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,” the chairman of IKEDC said.