Jos Disco speaks out on attack and abduction of workers in Benue

The management of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc has spoken out against the attack on its workers. They reported that 10 staff members were taken by youths who stormed their office in Benue State on Wednesday.

The company claimed that the youths also assaulted staff, stole four vehicles, and took technical tools. They returned the abducted workers after they forced the reconnection of a transformer.

Mrs Saratu Dauda, the company’s Public Relations Officer, shared this information in a statement on Thursday, which was sent to our reporter.

The statement mentioned that about 50 youths invaded the office on Otukpo Road around 1:17 pm. They had issues with the company’s operations, particularly the alleged illegal connection of the Government House to a refurbished 2MVA 33/11kV transformer supplying both the State House of Assembly and the Government House.

"During the incident, the youths broke into the office, assaulted our staff, and abducted 10 personnel. They also stole four vehicles and various technical tools,” the statement said.

Dauda noted that the abducted staff and the company’s equipment were released around 5:45 pm after the transformer was forcibly reconnected. She added that several staff members were injured during this attack.

The company recalled a similar event on September 3, 2026. At that time, a team of staff on a routine inspection was reportedly held hostage at the Government House after finding a meter bypass on the site.

According to Dauda, those staff members were forced to reconnect the bypassed meter before they were let go. She mentioned that the issue is still unresolved, despite many attempts to reach out to Benue State Government officials.

Dauda said that the company has reported the incident to the relevant security agencies. She added that they will work with these agencies to find out what happened and to prevent it from happening again.

While she acknowledged the need to address concerns from stakeholders and maintain good relationships with government bodies and local communities, she insisted that these matters should be settled through dialogue and understanding.

She also emphasized that technical actions, like energizing transformers and fixing metering issues, must follow the proper regulations and safety standards.

"JED Plc remains committed to working with the Benue State Government and other stakeholders to resolve issues in a friendly way for the benefit of electricity consumers and the people of Benue State,” the statement concluded.

When we reached out, Solomon Iorpev, the Benue State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, said he would make a statement about the incident. He had not done so by the time we filed this report.

"Yes, I will soon issue a statement to that effect,” he said.

We also contacted DSP Peter Aondongu, the spokesperson for the state police command. He mentioned he was on duty outside the state capital but promised to update our correspondent after he hears from the Divisional Police Officer in that area.