A soldier in the Nigerian Army, Corporal Ibrahim Auta NA07NA2672 of the 266 Light Battalion, has allegedly brutalised Khadijat Umar, a marketing staff of Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC).
The soldier is currently assisting the Mararaba Division of the Nigeria Police in Nasarawa State to unravel the circumstances that led him to physically assault her and inflict a deep cut in her head.
A statement by the spokesman of AEDC, Oyebode Fadipe said disturbed by the increasing spate of attacks on its workers, AEDC Management has directed its Legal Department to speedily institute a civil suit and pursue criminal proceedings against the Army Corporal, Customs Officer and three other persons who had in the last few weeks assaulted AEDC staff in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to eye witness accounts, which was corroborated by Corporal Ibrahim Auta, Khadijat Umar was on a house-to-house routine revenue recovery exercise with other colleagues when they found out that the house where Corporal Auta lives which was earlier disconnected had been reconnected.
Upon interrogation at the Police Station, Auta admitted that the AEDC team came to his place and upon their arrival, his attention was drawn to their presence in his neighbourhood.
When he came out, he saw that AEDC ladder was resting on the electric pole in front of his house.
According to him, there ensued an argument over the issue of illegal reconnection and the decision of the AEDC staff to disconnect his house for outstanding debt and illegal reconnection.
Auta admitted slapping Khadijat Umar while some AEDC staff who were also at the scene of the incident reported that Corporal Ibrahim Auta flogged her with his army belt.
Responding to the incident, the MD/CEO stated, “In the last few weeks, AEDC has seen a sudden increase in serious assault occasioning harm visited on its staff.
“This is unacceptable to us as a business entity. We owe our workers the duty to provide protection for them in the course of doing their lawful work. We are currently working with the relevant security agents to ensure that those involved in this disdainful conduct against AEDC Staff whilst going about their lawful duties are brought to justice,” he said.
In their separate reactions, the FCT Chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Godfrey Abah, and the FCT Branch President of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity & Allied Companies, Leticia Ejendu, have also said the two labour unions may be constrained to ask their members to withdraw their service and stop working in locations where any of them is attacked.
