Security Agencies Shut Down AEDC’s Offices In Minna

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By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
The fear of the rage of angry electricity consumers in Minna, the Niger State capital and environs have forced combined security operatives to shut down the regional head office of the Abuja electricity distribution company, (AEDC) and all it’s branch support offices in parts of the city including the ones at Bosso area of the state.
As early as sunrise, angry youth from across the state capital and Bosso area had converged at several points along Keteran Gwari, Mobil roundabout, Maitumbi, old airport road junction and Bosso area to mobilise more hands in what was to have been a coordinated simultaneous assault on the facilities of the AEDC.
But for the prompt interventions by combined security personnel of the Police and operatives of the National Security and Civil Defense Corps, (NSCDC), the attacks were nibbed in the bud at the nix of time.
Following the elapse of several warning and ultimatum given by group of youths organizations under different names and titles to the AEDC office in the state and it’s headquarters in Abuja over poor electricity supply and persistent blackout in most parts of the state which had not been improved upon, the youths had vowed to descend on the offices of the distribution company at the end of their repeated warnings.
Two weeks after the last warning issued late last month, the youths according to reports had planned to give life to their repeated ultimatums by staging mob attacks on the offices of the company.
But the information leaked out and when the security agencies got wind about the planned actions, they were were ready at hand and they stormed all offices of the distribution company to avert the destructions and mayhem that would have been.
As early as 7:30 in the morning on Tuesday, armed security personnel were drafted to all the offices of the electricity distribution company in Minna and environs to prevent arson on the facilities of the company.
On arrival, the security personnel quickly stationed their vehicles at the entrance of the regional office of the company and posted their personell on sentry at different points to wade off invasions.
All. movements into the office were prevented by stern looking Police men and their colleagues from the NSDC.
All staffers of the company who had reported to work were ejected from their offices and those who were reporting to begin the day’s work were turned back by the Police who had taken over the manning of the gates.
Electricity consumers who were unaware of the development and had come to transact business were asked to go back home as no movement was allowed near the gate of the complex.
Most of the officials of the company were seen milling around the main road along the PZ road. A  senior officer of the company was seen telling some of the staff to disperse from the area so as not to attract unnecessary attention during a visit to the regional Office on Tuesday morning.
Our correspondent who attempted to speak with one of the officials of the company, was told the situation on the ground was not ”conducive”.
Though the angry youths were not at sight near the regional office of the company, nor was there any report of show down between the angry youths and the security agencies, the electricity distribution company had shut out supply to all parts of the state capital.
As at 12:55 on Tuesday afternoon, even the areas which usually had supply of electricity at such times were without light from the public service grid.
Power rationing and blackouts to parts of the state had persisted even with the upscaled power generation capacity level to about 7000 mega watts in the last few months.
It would be recalled that in the last few days of November, aggrieved persons under the cloak of youth group had issued four weeks ultimatum to both power distribution companies and consecennaires companies with franchise rights to do business in parts of Niger State to sit up or face the wrath of angry electricity consumers in the state following years of increasing poor services by the companies.

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