The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Akwa Ibom State Command, has refuted claims that its personnel attacked Atan Offot community in Uyo Local Government Area of the state, firing shots indiscriminately at civilians and causing injuries to at least three individuals.
An incident occurred on the 15th of August, 2024, when officials from the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, led by an individual named Daniel, reportedly accompanied by some NSCDC operatives, visited the community. The PHED officials disconnected certain customers and removed the cables.
The situation escalated when an individual requested the return of their cable, leading to an altercation where Daniel allegedly took a jack knife from one of the NSCDC officials and inflicted a hand injury on someone.
However, in a statement released on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of NSCDC Akwa Ibom State Command, Friday Ekerete, contested the allegations.
Ekerete clarified that the NSCDC personnel present had intervened to recover the wires from the PHEDC officials, but they were met with hostility from a mob armed with dangerous weapons, who attacked the officers by pelting them with stones, iron objects, and sticks.
He emphasized that their primary objective was to ensure the safety of the PHEDC officials amidst the violent threat posed by the mob.
Subsequently, the State Commandant, Eluwade met with representatives of the Atan Offot community and successfully resolved the issues at hand.
The statement was titled “NSCDC Operatives Rescue PHED Personnel from being lynched to death by some Angry Youth at Atan Affot Community”
It mentioned, ” On Thursday, 15th August 2024, PHEDC personnel on enforcement visited some houses on Udo Ekong Ekwere Street in ATAN OFFOT community in Uyo LGA who had illegally reconnected their wires that were disconnected due to non-payment of electricity bills. An offence punishable by Sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act. The two affected customers had their wires disconnected at the end of July 2024 for failure to pay their electricity bills.
“The PHEDC enforcement team were accompanied by NSCDC personnel who have the mandate to ensure the protection of all critical infrastructure in the state and offer protection to PHEDC officials due to the incessant attacks they face in the line of duty from some hostile communities. They successfully disconnected the wires of the affected customers, and since they had illegally reconnected it themselves earlier without sorting out their bills, the officials decided to take the wires with them after giving them a disconnection order. They were then advised to visit the PHEDC office to resolve and reconcile their issues.
“Rather than oblige to the advice, the two affected men, who should have been arrested for tampering with electrical cables contrary to Section 9 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, attempted to forcefully retrieve the seized wires, which was resisted by PHEDC officials.
“In a short time, they mobilized lots of youths, launched a violent mob attack and beat up the PHEDC officials, attempting to overpower them and retrieve their seized wires and other valuables from the vehicle.
“NSCDC personnel accompanying the PHEDC officials had to intervene by attempting to recover the wires, but the mob were armed with dangerous weapons, resorted to attacking the officers while others pelting them with stones, iron objects, sticks amongst others, and their focus at this time was to rescue the PHEDC officials alive from the violent threat unleashed on them by the mob.
“One officer was severely injured with a dangerous weapon and subsequently rushed to the hospital for treatment”.