The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has threatened to withdraw its members from the Jos Electricity Distribution, JED, Plc office in Makurdi, Benue State, over alleged abduction, torture and intimidation of workers by suspected government house thugs.
The union warned that its members would stay away from the office indefinitely unless the management of JED provided adequate guarantees for their safety.
NUEE said electricity workers should not be forced to risk their lives and property while carrying out their official responsibilities.
In a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the union condemned the alleged attack on JED’s Benue State office on October 21, 2026.
It described the incident as another case of violence against electricity workers performing their duties.
The union alleged that the attackers abducted the Benue State Operating Officer, Samson Abah, alongside an unspecified number of other employees and took them to the River Benue Bridge.
According to NUEE, the incident occurred after electricity supply to the Benue State Government House was disconnected.
It claimed that the assailants, allegedly armed with weapons suspected to be guns and machetes, stormed the company’s district office in Makurdi in reaction to the disconnection.
The union further alleged that the attackers demanded money before releasing the affected workers and compelled them to restore electricity supply to the Government House through what it described as an illegally installed transformer.
Reacting to the development, NUEE called on electricity distribution companies to take the safety of their employees seriously, stressing that workers should not be subjected to violence or threats for implementing operational decisions.
The union also demanded adequate medical care for the affected employees and urged JED management to replace their seized mobile phones and other personal belongings.
Additionally, it called on the Benue State Governor to issue a written apology over the alleged incident.
NUEE maintained that electricity workers could not continue discharging their duties in an atmosphere characterised by alleged brutality, intimidation and threats to their lives.