The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened to escalate its ongoing industrial action into a nationwide strike following the alleged assault and arrest of its Edo State chairman and another union member by security operatives in Benin City.
The union’s West Zone Zonal Vice Chairman, Engineer David Ehigiamuose, made the threat on Friday, October 23, 2026, during a press briefing in Benin City, where he condemned the alleged treatment of Edo State chairman Comrade William Uwumarogie and Comrade Mathew Eromobor.
According to Ehigiamuose, the two union officials were allegedly seized between 7:20 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, while members were keeping watch at the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Akpakpava Road as part of the ongoing industrial action.
He alleged that armed security personnel arrived in a Toyota Hiace bus and a Hilux van before attacking and taking the union officials away. He further claimed that their phones and personal belongings were confiscated during the incident.
Ehigiamuose said the two men were released at about 1:00 a.m. on Friday after allegedly suffering injuries and were receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The union demanded the withdrawal of military personnel from the BEDC headquarters, adequate medical care for the affected members and the return of their phones and personal belongings within 24 hours.
It warned that failure to meet its demands could lead to the expansion of the industrial action across the country, raising the possibility of further disruption to electricity services.
The strike began on October 19 over unresolved labour issues, including salary harmonisation, minimum wage implementation, promotion stagnation and other staff welfare concerns. The action has disrupted electricity supply across parts of BEDC’s franchise area, including Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states.
The Edo State Government has appealed to the parties to sustain dialogue and pursue a peaceful resolution. The state government said discussions had addressed issues such as salary adjustments, staff promotions, protective equipment, welfare and overtime payments, with further engagement expected on outstanding matters.
However, the Nigerian Army’s spokesperson in Edo State, Kennedy Anyanwu, reportedly denied that the Army arrested the union chairman, saying the incident had nothing to do with the military. Attempts to obtain a response from the Edo State Police Command were reportedly unsuccessful as of the time of the reports.
The allegations surrounding the incident had not been independently established, and the parties involved had not publicly resolved the dispute at the time of reporting.
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