Court stops army from harassing electricity workers in Nasarawa state
(Nigeria) A Nasarawa State High Court sitting in Mararaba,
has restrained the Nigerian Army from harassing and preventing the Abuja
Electricity Distribution Company Plc., from carrying out its duty.
The court gave the order following a motion ex parte by Mr
Abel Yarigo, a staff of the company and 11 others members of staff.
The others were Pautkart Markus, Ibrahim Bulala, Tolani
Sunday, Aladi Amanobo, Ifeoma Nemine, Ngozi Amadi, Ngozi Aneke, Gloria Ntol Ann
Udo and Amina Danliti.
Other defendants are Lt.-Col. C.A. Akaliro, Chief of Army
Staff, Commander, Brigade of Guards, Attorney General of the Federal and the
Nigerian Army Council..
Yarigo, who is the second applicant, in a motion alleged
that personnel from the 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi, on May 20, raided the
company’s office at Keffi and assaulted them.
He said the soldiers, armed with assault rifles, ordered the
men among them to kneel down, while the women were asked to sit on the floor
and beaten ``mercilessly.’
``Guns in hand, the soldiers went round the office building,
shouting, barking out orders, boot kicking and banging the doors in search of
the Area Office Manager,’’ Yarigo further alleged.
He said the soldiers’ action followed disconnection of their
barracks by the company on May 19 for failure to pay electricity bill of N604.7
million they owed the company.
Reacting to the court order, the acting Director, Army
Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said they were aware of the incident.
Usman said that efforts were being made to resolve the
matter out of court.
``In as much as I do not want to make comment on a matter
before a court of competent jurisdiction, we are aware and making effort to
resolve it,’’ Usman said.
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