Army denies invading EKEDC office, says fracas was due to fire outbreak
The Nigerian Army has dismissed allegations of an invasion of the Badagry office of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), clarifying that a minor fracas between soldiers and EKEDC staff resulted from a fire outbreak caused by a power surge in the barracks. EKEDC staff were reportedly assaulted when soldiers allegedly stormed their office. However, […]
The Nigerian Army has dismissed allegations of an invasion of the Badagry office of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), clarifying that a minor fracas between soldiers and EKEDC staff resulted from a fire outbreak caused by a power surge in the barracks.
EKEDC staff were reportedly assaulted when soldiers allegedly stormed their office.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 81 Division, refuted the claims, stating that the allegations misrepresented the actual events.
Ayeni explained that the Topo Barracks community in Badagry had been experiencing a prolonged power outage for over a month.
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“When power was finally restored in the early hours of March 14, 2025, a power surge triggered a fire in a facility managed by EKEDC within the barracks, causing panic.
“Soldiers on duty immediately collaborated with EKEDC personnel to contain the situation. The company’s technical staff were granted access to the barracks around 1:00 am and successfully resolved the issue by 2:30 am,” Ayeni said.
He acknowledged a misunderstanding between a soldier and an EKEDC staff member during the process but said it was swiftly resolved.