Nigeria’s power sector faces a looming nationwide disruption as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened to withdraw its services across the country following an alleged violent attack on workers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) substation in Egbu, Imo State.

The union accused armed police officers of invading the 132/33kV transmission facility on Friday, assaulting personnel, vandalising equipment, and abducting some staff on duty. In response, NUEE has directed its members to suspend operations in Imo State indefinitely, warning that a nationwide shutdown could follow if urgent measures are not taken to protect electricity workers.

In a statement issued late Saturday by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, NUEE condemned what it described as “brutal and unprofessional conduct” by the officers, whom it alleged acted on the instruction of Imo State authorities.

According to the union, the officers “forcibly invaded and vandalised the control rooms” in a bid to compel operators to approve an “illegal outage.” The statement further claimed that workers were held at gunpoint, beaten, and forced to operate breakers under duress. Personal belongings, including phones, laptops, and vehicles, were reportedly destroyed, while CCTV infrastructure was also damaged.

“The police officers executed this brutal and barbaric assault on innocent workers and abducted them to an undisclosed location,” Igwebike said.

NUEE demanded the immediate release of the allegedly abducted staff, a formal undertaking from TCN management, the Federal Ministry of Power and the Inspector-General of Police to guarantee the safety of workers, and full compensation for all damaged property. It also insisted that assaulted workers receive comprehensive medical care.

The union warned that failure to address the crisis promptly would leave it with “no alternative but to withdraw our services nationwide.”

Police Deny Abduction Allegation, Describe Incident as Operational Dispute

Reacting on Sunday, the Imo State Police Command denied claims that its personnel abducted or held electricity workers hostage. In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, the command described the incident as an “operational disagreement” involving the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and the Orashi Electricity Distribution Company.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, has ordered a full-scale investigation by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to uncover the circumstances surrounding the confrontation at the Egbu substation.

“Preliminary findings show no indication that TCN or NISO personnel were abducted, held hostage, or forced to disconnect any facility,” the statement read.

The police said officials of the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) were present at the scene as part of efforts to resolve the dispute between the two distribution companies.

Okoye assured residents that the police had restored order at the facility and were working with the state government to ensure the safety of all electricity personnel and to protect critical infrastructure.