Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have condemned an alleged attack on the company’s workers in Makurdi, Benue State, accusing suspected assailants of abducting and assaulting 10 personnel over the disconnection of electricity supply to the state Government House.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, when armed men allegedly invaded JED’s district office in Makurdi and seized the company’s Benue State Operating Officer, Samson Abah, alongside other workers.

According to a report by Vanguard, the union said the workers were taken to the River Benue Bridge, where they were allegedly assaulted and tortured.

NUEE said the attack followed JED’s disconnection of electricity supply to the Government House after the alleged discovery of meter bypass by government officials.

In a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the union alleged that the assailants seized the workers’ mobile phones and other personal belongings, demanded money for their release and forced them to restore electricity supply to the Government House.

The union further alleged that the attackers claimed their superior had been embarrassed by the disconnection after returning from a foreign trip. It also said the assailants accused the electricity workers of working for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

NUEE condemned the incident and called on the relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The union demanded that the affected workers receive appropriate medical attention and that their allegedly stolen phones and other belongings be replaced. It also called on the Benue State governor to apologise over the incident.

The union warned that its members could withdraw their services from the Makurdi office if adequate measures were not taken to guarantee their safety.

“We cannot continue to work under these brutalities, intimidations and threats to life until we are assured of the safety of our lives and properties,” the union said.

The incident adds to concerns over the safety of electricity workers carrying out disconnection and other operational duties.

In September, electricity workers’ unions protested in Bauchi over the alleged assault and arrest of 10 JED personnel by Nigerian Air Force officers following a disconnection of electricity supply to military quarters over unpaid bills. The unions threatened wider industrial action if the matter was not addressed.

The allegations surrounding the Makurdi incident had not been independently established in the reports reviewed. No response from the Benue State Government was included in the cited report.