*Fire Petition To Chief Of Army Staff
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Residents of Post Army Housing Estate, Phase 3, Kurudu, Abuja, have petitioned the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, over alleged extortion and the use of soldiers to force payment for repair of a faulty transformer owned by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) which serves their area.
In a letter dated September 2026 and signed by Wale Adegoke on behalf of the ‘Concerned Post Army Housing Resident Association’, they accused the management of Nigerian Army Housing Estate Resident Association (NAHERA) of working “in cahoots” with AEDC officials to compel residents to contribute about N3 million for transformer repairs on the facility located at Lt. OA Ebong Close, Phase 2.
“This is AEDC’s responsibility, not residents’,” the petition stated.
The residents said the transformer was damaged by a lightning strike, throwing the entire coverage area into darkness.
According to the petition, it has become a recurring trend for AEDC officials to ask customers to contribute money to repair or replace faulty transformers—a responsibility,they note, by regulation belongs to the distribution company.
“Over the years residents have contributed money and paid for repairs and replacements of faulty electrical parts that purely is in favour of the commercial and private interest of the AEDC,” the petition revealed.
The worried residents further alleged that soldiers and NAHERA officials were being used to enforce the illegal collection, describing the practice as “ridiculous and notorious conduct.”
“The Nigerian Army must not be seen to be aiding and abetting illegality, unfair and obnoxious practices in favour of a privately owned electricity distribution company,” the residents wrote, urging the Army to focus on its primary duty of tackling insecurity rather being used as levy collectors.
The residents accused AEDC and other distribution companies (Discos) nationwide of “extortionist tendency,” citing arbitrary billing, epileptic power supply, and charging customers for prepaid meters that should be installed free.
They said previous contributions by residents for repairs and replacement of transformers were never refunded.
The group also faulted the complaint mechanism of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), saying reporting AEDC to its local office “amounts to being the judge in their own case.”
“Other commercial entities such as MTN, Glo, DStv, Airtel, among others, always take responsibility for the repairs or replacement of their damaged infrastructure,” the letter added.
“Nigerian citizens have been overburdened by exploitative attitude of Discos,” they noted.
The association urged Lt, Gen. Shaibu to intervene and ensure that AEDC or Army Post Housing Development Limited, the owners of the estate, repairs or replaces the damaged transformer “at no cost to the residents.”
They suggested that the estate management could fund the repairs from monthly dues paid by residents instead of imposing another financial burden on them.
Copies of the petition were sent to the National Human Rights Commission, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and Berekete Family Human Rights Radio.
“We need things right in this country because a society without justice is comparable to a walking corpse: it is only a matter of time before it falls with thud,” the residents concluded.
Issues of estimated billing, transformer vandalism, and customers funding repairs have been recurring complaints against Discos across Nigeria.
NERC regulations stipulate that these companies are responsible for the maintenance and replacement of distribution infrastructure, including transformers.
*PHOTO CAPTION: A typical transformer.
