The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened a nationwide work stoppage following an alleged attack on staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) at the Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation in Imo State.
According to NUEE, armed police officers, acting on behalf of the Imo State government, forcibly invaded the substation, vandalising control rooms and compelling operators to grant an illegal power outage.
During the incident, workers were allegedly held at gunpoint, assaulted, and had their personal belongings—including phones, laptops, and vehicles—damaged or destroyed. CCTV cameras at the site were also reportedly vandalised.
In a statement late Saturday, NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, said the union was “deeply shocked and outraged” by what it described as “gangsterism and unprofessional conduct” by the officers.
He called for the immediate release of abducted staff, medical attention for assaulted workers, and full replacement of damaged property.
“The police officers executed this brutal and barbaric assault on innocent workers. NUEE strongly condemns this reprehensible act and demands formal assurances from TCN management, the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Inspector General of Police to protect our members and prevent further incidents,” Igwebike stated.
The union has directed all members to halt work at the substation until their safety and property are fully secured, warning that failure to address these issues could force a nationwide withdrawal of services.