Imo State was thrown into total darkness on Saturday night after electricity workers withdrew their services in response to an alleged police assault at the Egbu 132/33KV Transmission Substation.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) ordered its members to stop work immediately, following what it described as a violent and illegal invasion of the substation by armed police officers.

According to reports, the officers—believed to be acting on directives from the state government—stormed the facility, forcefully entered the control rooms, vandalised equipment, and disrupted operations. Workers on duty were allegedly held at gunpoint, beaten, and compelled to carry out an unauthorised outage. Some staff members were reportedly abducted and taken to an undisclosed location.

In a statement, NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, condemned the incident, calling it an act of “gangsterism” and a gross display of unprofessionalism by the officers involved.

The union said:
“Armed officers invaded and vandalised the control rooms of the Egbu Transmission Substation in an attempt to compel operators to execute an illegal outage. They disconnected power at gunpoint, held staff hostage, and forced them to open breakers under duress. They also assaulted workers, destroyed personal belongings including phones, laptops, and vehicles, and vandalised CCTV cameras before abducting staff.”

NUEE demanded the immediate release of abducted workers, as well as a formal assurance of safety from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Inspector General of Police. The union also called for full compensation for lost or damaged property, and medical attention for all assaulted workers.

Igwebike added that employees would not return to work until their safety was guaranteed:
“We cannot continue to work under conditions of brutality, intimidation, and threats to life. Work will only resume when staff and property are fully protected. Failure to address these issues may force us to withdraw services nationwide.”

The incident has sparked widespread concern, with fears that prolonged industrial action could affect power supply beyond Imo State if the matter is not swiftly resolved.