Power disconnection: Three remanded for beating up IKEDC workers

Juliana Francis

Three persons have been remanded in prison custody for allegedly beating up workers of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company in the course of carrying out their duty.

The accused are Abiodun Makinde, Rotimi Bamigbade and Kazeem Adeniyi Owoleye. The accused were arraigned amid the increasing spate of attacks on IKEDC staff.

One of the accused, Makinde, was arrested and remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons for beating up Oluwaseun Onate, a staff of the Electricity Distribution Company.

Makinde, who was located and arrested at his hideout by the Police, was arraigned on a two-count charge of assault and breach of peace at the Ogba Magistrate Court, Lagos. Onate was assaulted at Aberuagba Street, Oshodi, Lagos, a month ago during an activity which involved disconnection of debtor customers.

The Head, Corporate Communications IKEDC, Felix Ofulue disclosed that Makinde absconded thereafter; leading to an organized search for his arrest by the Police.

When Makinde pleaded not guilty to the charge, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs Dan Oni sitting at Court 8, Ogba, granted the suspect bail and ordered him to be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons until bail conditions are met. The case was thereafter adjourned to March 14, 2019 for further hearing.

Similarly, Bamigbade and Owoleye were also remanded in Kirikiri for similar offences. Bamigbade and four others still at large, on February 18, 2019, at Ajasa Command, Ipaja, carried out a physical assault on an IKEDC linesman with bottles and sticks, and dispossessed him of personal property. He was subsequently detained and arraigned before Mrs. A.A. Adetunji sitting at the Magistrate, Court 14 Ogba on five counts of conspiracy to commit felony; breach of peace; Obstructing official duty, assault occasioning harm and stealing.

Bamigbade pleaded guilty to all the counts except stealing. He has since been remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons. While the case has been adjourned to 18th March, 2019 for prison sentencing, efforts are still underway to ensure that other suspects, still at large, were arrested.

Owoleye on the other hand was arraigned before Mrs.T.A. Azeez sitting at Ikorodu Magistrate Court 1, Ikorodu on a two counts charge of alleged assault on IKEDC staff at Rilwan Lawal Street, Luwa Estate, Ikorodu.

Owoleye pleaded not guilty to the charges and was subsequently granted bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties. He was however unable to perfect his bail condition and has therefore been remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison pending the perfection of his bail.

Ofulue said: “IE recently issued a press statement which cautioned against assault on staff and threatened to withdraw its services from hostile communities and customers. The decision to seek redress in court over series of attack on the Company staff is to stem the menace of violence against our staff; a development I hope will serve as a deterrent to other offenders against future reoccurrence. Let me used this opportunity to urge aggrieved customers to seek peaceful means and the redress mechanism established by the Company for resolution of issues.”