The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) has threatened to cut power supply in parts of Rivers State after a brutal attack on one of its employees.

The incident, which occurred in Umuebule Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State involved a member of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Gboro Benjamin.

According to SSAEAC, Benjamin, who serves as the Occupational Health and Safety Officer in PHED’s Beta II Area, was on official duty checking for prepaid meter bypasses at Diamond Estate along Shell Location Road. During the routine check, he was violently attacked by some PHED customers.

In response to the attack, SSAEAC’s Deputy General Secretary for the South East and South-South, Innocent Lord-Douglas, accused the police of compromising the investigation, claiming that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) from the Oyigbo Police Division, Innocent Igbekile, threatened PHED’s Chief Security Officer and union members when they visited the scene of the assault.

“When I got wind of the incident, I told our members in PHED to get the Police to arrest the culprits. By the time the Chief Security Officer of PHED got to Oyigbo Police Station, the wife of the man had already incidented the case,” Lord-Douglas said.

“On enquiry, the IPO in charge of the case, Innocent Igbekile of Oyigbo Police Station, even threatened to beat up the CSO of PHED and to call bad boys around to chase away union members that accompanied the CSO to the scene of the incident if they try to disconnect the transformers feeding the woman. So you see? The Police is already compromised.”

Kristina Reports was yet to get a response from the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, as at the time of this report.

The assailant, identified as Nnabuike George, with meter number 0124000344273, reportedly attacked Benjamin alongside his family and others present at a nearby bar.

Lord-Douglas has since threatened to shut down the power supply in the entire Etche Local Government Area unless justice is served.

“Due to the rampant cases of prepaid meter bypass customers in the system, our members do go about on meters’ checking. Besides, these meters are not the personal property of customers but the property of DisCos. So Benjamin asked for access to check Nnabuike George’s meter, which is reportedly being shared with a bar in the area.

“They denied him access and instead, the man, his wife, his son, and people in the bar descended on him with planks, beating him to a pulp and hitting him badly in the eye.”

Benjamin remains critically injured, with concerns that he may face near blindness if urgent medical attention is not provided.

“Our next resolve would be to shut out the power supply in the whole of Etche LGA until we get justice for our member. The man is critically injured, and information has it that he may suffer near blindness if urgent and intensive medical attention is delayed. If he becomes blind, what will happen to his family?

“What will be the fate of our members in the field? So we will do everything legally possible to get justice to serve as a deterrence to people who are fond of attacking electricity workers in the field,” said Lord-Douglas.

He urged local authorities and stakeholders, including the LGA Chairman, paramount rulers, and the Police, to ensure the arrest of the culprit, who is currently at large.

SSAEAC has vowed to push for a thorough investigation into the attack and ensure justice for Benjamin.