EKEDC to Prosecute Retired General for Threatening to Shoot Staff

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The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has alleged that a customer the company identified as a retired General and former chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Major Gen. Bitrus Kwaji (rtd), pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot some members of staff of the company who disconnected his Ikoyi residence for non-payment of bills.

EKEDC’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Godwin Idemudia, said in a statement Saturday that the retired military officer would be prosecuted by the company for assault and attempted murder.

Idemudia, who also sent to THISDAY the pictures of the man he identified as the said Gen. Kwaji, where he was alleged to be holding a pistol, also identified the man’s residence as 19A Lugard Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Narrating the incident, Idemudia said when the company’s disconnection crew got to Kwaji’s house in Ikoyi, they demanded proof of payment from the guards at the gate.

Idemudia disclosed that when the guards could not produce evidence of payment of bills, the EKEDC workers served the guards with disconnection order and subsequently disconnected supply to the house.

He further alleged that the company’s disconnection crew were still within the “neighbourhood when the retired General drove down in a Toyota Avalon car, double-crossed the crew van and brought out a pistol, which he quickly loaded with bullets and shot into the air”.

According to Idemudia, the company’s crew “were thus forced to reconnect the General’s house since he was threatening that he would shoot at the leader of the team if his house was not reconnected immediately”.

Describing Kwaji’s action as most unfortunate especially coming from someone that was supposed to be a highly respected citizen, the Eko Disco spokesman said the company would not fold its arms and watch some people abuse their position and privilege to harass its officials while performing their lawful duties.

“Our company is duly licensed to perform the duty of supplying electricity and collecting revenue for services rendered and no one, no matter how highly placed, has the right to prevent us from performing our lawful duties. Our legal department is already working on this. Unknown to the General, we have everything on video and we will pursue this to its logical conclusion,” Idemudia added.