- Safiu Kehinde
Amnesty International Nigeria has disclosed alleged abduction and torture of two Eko Electricity Distribution Company’s (EKEDC) staff by Nigerian military personnel.
The humanitarian group made the disclosure in a statement issued on its official X handle on Monday.
As contained in the statement, the soldiers forcibly took a Distribution System Operator (DSO) and a Proton Security Officer of the electricity company to their barracks, where they were allegedly beaten and subjected to torture for hours.
This, according to Amnesty, is coming weeks after soldiers launched a violent attack on Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) offices in Lagos, torturing some of the workers while vandalising the company’s properties.
While calling for the stoppage of the invasion and torture of the electricity officials, Amnesty blamed the military’s recklessness on consistent failure by the Nigerian authorities to hold the military personnel to account for a long list of atrocities.
The humanitaran group charged Nigerian authorities to set up an independent inquiry to ensure justice for the victims of the assault.
The statement read in part; “The Nigerian authorities must give a clear directive to the military to stop invading and torturing electricity workers for just doing their job. The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) reported that the military invaded its substation and abducted two staff members.
“Witnesses told Amnesty International that soldiers forcibly took a Distribution System Operator (DSO) and a Proton Security Officer of the electricity company to their barracks, where they were beaten and subjected to torture for hours.
“This is coming weeks after soldiers launched a violent attack on Ikeja Electricity Distribution company workers. The soldiers beat up the workers, took some of them at gun point to their barracks where they subjected them to torture and other degrading treatment.
“The Nigerian military’s recklessness is a result of the authorities’ consistent failure to hold them to account for a long list of atrocities. The Nigerian authorities must promptly set up an independent inquiry to ensure justice for the victims of this impunity.”