Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State command, have been accused of terrorising and intimidating residents of Agege community for protesting against the mass disconnection of electricity light by the management of the Ikeja Electric company.
The operatives were alleged to have swooped on the protesting community, for resisting officials of the Ikeja Electric led by one Emmanuel from the mass disconnection on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, which stemmed from over billing.
SaharaReporters gathered that trouble started when the electricity distribution company brought “crazy and unwarranted” estimated billing, amid its refusal to issue prepaid meters to most electricity consumers in Agege.
A source told SaharaReporters that sequel to the refusal to meter the houses; they in turn refused to pay the estimated bills.
“Now Ikeja Electric embarked on mass disconnection which the people resisted, demanding that their houses should instead be metered. Following brawls, police operatives came and started hounding people, and arrested two leaders of the area, Alfa Saheed Fatai, and Odewale Jamiu.”
But a human rights organisation, the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has condemned the police attack on the community, describing the arrest of Alfa Saheed, the Imam of Ladoje Mosque, Agege and Odewale Jamiu on early morning of Wednesday as unacceptable.
The group in statement issued on Wednesday, and made available to SaharaReporters, disclosed that the police officers from the Abattoir Divisional Headquarters, Oko Oba Agege carried the arrest and invasion of the community at the behest of Ikeja Electric.
Signed by the National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Rufus Olusesan and Chinedu Bosah, respectively, CDWR disclosed that the Imam was arrested inside the mosque after leading early morning prayers.
It demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
The statement partly read, “We also demand an end to the fraudulent estimated billing, issuance of pre-paid meters and a reversal of the privatisation of the power sector and for the re-nationalisation of the power sector under democratic workers control and management.
“We call on the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State to desist from using men of the police who are financed through the public purse as thugs of private electricity companies.
“We also warn Ikeja Electric, in particular, the Emmanuel Undertaking Manager Tajudeen Musa Stanley to desist from mass disconnection especially in a situation of poor electricity supply and unwarranted and exploitative estimated billing.
“The background to this arrest was the mass disconnection embarked upon by Emmanuel undertaking of Ikeja Electric yesterday Tuesday, 20 September 2022 and these mass disconnection was based on crazy and unwarranted estimated billing and refusal to issue prepaid meters to most electricity consumers in Agege.
“The CDWR stands in solidarity with the community people resisting exploitation by electricity companies and other service providers and we shall follow up this case until the arrested and detained persons regain freedom, all charges dropped and victory is achieved.”
Meanwhile efforts to get the reaction of the Lagos Police Command’s spokesman SP Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.
