Nigerian Army Denies Invasion of EKEDC Substation in Badagry

…As Military Says Allegations are Misleading, Untrue

…As Nigerian Army Reiterates Commitment to Safety, Security officer Citizens in Badagry

The Nigerian Army has denied allegations that its soldiers invaded the EKO Electricity Distribution Company’s (EKEDC) substation in Badagry, Lagos.

The allegations were made during an interview with Arise Television, where the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors claimed that soldiers had invaded the power company’s facility and abducted staff members.

In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, reiterated the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protecting Nigerian citizens and ensuring cordial relationships with its host communities and stakeholders.

According to the Nigerian Army, the incident occurred within the Topo Barracks, not at the EKEDC premises.

The Badagry community, including the barrack community, had been experiencing power outages for over a month, despite repeated reassurances from EKEDC.

The power supply was eventually restored in the early hours of March 14, 2025, but a power surge triggered a fire incident in the barracks at a facility managed by EKEDC.

This caused panic, and soldiers on duty coordinated with EKEDC personnel to contain the situation.

The company’s technical staff were granted access to the barracks to rectify the fault and departed after successfully addressing the issue.

While a misunderstanding occurred between a soldier and an EKEDC staff member, it was swiftly and amicably resolved on the spot.

The Nigerian Army emphasized that at no time was the EKEDC substation company in Badagry invaded by any soldier, and neither was any staff member abducted or detained in the barracks.

The Commanding Officer of the unit has maintained a longstanding relationship with EKEDC’s leadership in Badagry, which remains unchanged.

To ensure transparency, the Commanding Officer immediately constituted a Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident.

It was also observed that the footage aired by Arise TV was entirely of a different incident, and the troops in the visual footage were not personnel of the Nigeria Army.

This has created a misleading narrative that suggests a hostile stand-off between the Nigeria Army and EKEDC.

The Nigerian Army takes human rights violations seriously and will not condone any form of misconduct against law-abiding citizens.

The Nigerian Army’s denial of the allegations comes amid concerns about the safety and security of citizens in the area.