Nigeria may be heading toward a major power crisis as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened to shut down electricity operations nationwide following an alleged violent attack on staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Imo State.
The union raised the alarm in a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, describing the incident as a shocking display of brutality and lawlessness.
According to NUEE, workers on duty at the Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation were allegedly beaten, held at gunpoint, and abducted by armed police officers reportedly acting on the instructions of the state government.
Witness accounts cited in the union’s statement claim the police officers forcefully entered the substation control rooms, vandalising critical equipment and disrupting power operations.
Staff on duty were allegedly assaulted, threatened, and compelled under duress to open breakers. Several workers were then taken away to an undisclosed location.
NUEE said the attackers also destroyed personal belongings, including phones, laptops, and vehicles, while CCTV cameras were damaged, leaving the facility compromised.
In immediate response, the union has ordered its members to halt all electricity supply operations in Imo State until further notice.
But its warning goes further: unless authorities urgently act to protect power workers across the country, NUEE says it will withdraw services nationwide, a move that could plunge Nigeria into a total blackout.
The union demanded the immediate release of abducted staff, a formal safety guarantee from TCN management, the Ministry of Power, and the Inspector-General of Police, replacement of all damaged staff property, and full medical attention for all assaulted workers.
NUEE also directed all its members to stay away from their duty posts, insisting they cannot work under conditions of “brutality, intimidation, and threats to life.”
“If these issues are not addressed promptly,” the union warned, “we will have no alternative but to withdraw services nationwide until the safety and protection of our members are secured in all workplaces.”
As tensions escalate, the threat of a nationwide power shutdown looms, raising fears of massive disruptions if a resolution is not reached quickly.
