CHIMA AZUBUIKE
Men of the Federal Fire Service led by the Assistant Controller of Fire Service, Bauchi, Usman Yakmut on Thursday, attacked the State Headquarters of Jos Electricity Distribution PLC leaving several staff injured.
According to a press statement by Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah, JEDC head of corporate communications, Trouble started when Yakmut who went to the Regional office with the purpose of capturing his prepaid meters was politely asked to park his vehicle at the visitor’s parking lot but he refused saying that as a “military” Officer, he was supposed to drive into the premises.
All efforts to persuade him that visitors were not allowed to drive into the premises fell on deaf ears as he called on his men to invade the office.
Yakmut therefore put a call to his men who came in two official vehicles and instantly based on his order descended on all the staff on duty.
Some of the staff were beaten while others received minor injuries.
It took the intervention of the police and civil defense men to bring the situation to Order.
As at the time of filling this report, monetary loss as well as the extent of damage done to the office were yet to be ascertained.
Reacting to the development, the Managing Director/ CEO of Jos Electricity Distribution PLC, Engr Hashim Bakori who decried the crudity deployed by the Federal Fire Service Officer said it was not only primitive but barbaric.
Engr. Bakori who said it was very uncivilized of the officer to deployed brute Force in handling issues that could have been amicably handle promised to take the matter up with the appropriate authorities.
He said the officer involved would be punished according to law, “we will not tolerate a situation where men in uniforms would storm our premises and begin to molest our staff,” he added.
Meanwhile, Controller zone C of Federal Fire Service Usman Yakmut,has denied calling his men to cause mayhem at the Jos Electricity Distribution Company bauchi office.
Yakmut who spoke to our correspondent in a telephone chat added that his colleagues were passing by in their fire truck, before they came to his rescue.
Yakmut said, “it was on Monday that I went to them to capture my prepaid metre . So I was asked to register it first since it is a new one, so I asked them to register it but was asked to give them 24 hours, yesterday was 24 hours around 10 and I tried to load the code but it failed.
“Today too I tried in the morning and it refused to load again then I proceeded to their office. After failed attempt to gain access, I called state area command of civil defence and I was promised they will come but after about 10 minutes I saw my men passing, I thought they were going out for fire fighting but I saw them reversing to open the gate but when the place was completely out of control I came down to calm them down. No body asked us to park outside.”
When asked about the video where his men descended on Jos Electricity Distribution company, he said he can’t deny it.
“I can’t say no because when there is fight in the public, you can’t detect who is who but definitely I know my men are in uniform. I don’t know exactly when the fight started. I didn’t leave the scene I tried to control the crowd. I didn’t call my men to come they just met me there
From the video you posted is the fire service vehicle going into the office premises or trying to go out as the forcefully gain exit from the Jed office ?
This totally untrue