NEWS
KEDC Faces Turmoil As Workers Stage Indefinite Strike
Tensions reached a boiling point at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company as staff members launched an indefinite strike, protesting what they deem as unjust treatment and lingering industrial disputes with the company’s management.
The headquarters witnessed a disruptive scene on Tuesday morning, as members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) brandished placards, blocking entry and leaving fellow staff and customers stranded outside.
Among the grievances aired during the protest were demands for six years’ worth of unremitted pension, non-payment of death benefits, delayed exit packages, alleged wrongful termination of seven Zaria-based employees, lack of essential resources for work, and rumors of imminent layoffs affecting over 1,000 workers.
Speaking during the protest, the Organising Secretary, North West, NUEE, Ayuba Pukat, said: “We are out here to exercise our right as workers of Kaduna Electric because of so many issues on the ground which have to do with our staff welfare.
“The pension deducted from our staff was not remitted for over 72 months, and staff are still working. If you go to your pension managers, they will tell you your company did not remit.
“This is a criminal offence, and the licence of Kaduna Electric should be seized. This means that staff are being paid half their salaries yet the rest is not being remitted to their pension managers.
“Again, some Zaria staff’s employments were unlawfully terminated last year as a result of malfunctioning of the power equipment in Zaria, leading to the electrocution of 14 residents in Southern Zaria.
“The staff were asked to leave without a fair hearing. We are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management staff regarding our welfare.
“We don’t have enough equipment to work, yet we keep getting threats upon threats. They also employed MOPOL to send us out from the premises as we protest, but we won’t leave here until we have registered our grouse.” he added
Abdulazeez Abdullahi, the Head of Corporate Communications at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, denounced the NUEE strike as unwarranted and detrimental to the company’s well-being.
Abdullahi emphasized that the management had already initiated discussions with union leaders in an effort to address and resolve all outstanding industrial issues.
He earnestly appealed to the protesting workers, urging them to reconsider their stance and suspend the strike, emphasizing the importance of restoring normalcy to business activities.
He said “We woke up this morning to the news that members of NUEE have locked up our offices. We were shocked because there was no need for it. We have a quarterly meeting scheduled for Wednesday. They have told us about the pension remittances, and there is a plan to settle the backlogs.”
“We have a new MD, and he needs time to settle down and then plan on how to gradually offset the historical liabilities. But they chose to do this and have stopped staff and customers from coming in.
He added “This is illegal, and we think this is unnecessary. We know the company is not in a good place right now, but the new MD has promised to turn the company. We need all hands to be on deck so that we can forge a way forward for the company.”
Military gear has reportedly been found at the scene of a helicopter crash in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The helicopter crashed in a swampy area of the coastal community on Monday, October 5, 2026, sparking panic among residents.
The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, said military personnel and equipment were seen at the crash site, raising the possibility that the aircraft could have been a military helicopter.
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However, the identity of the helicopter and its operator had not been officially established as of the time of filing this report.
Oripelaye said the aircraft crashed near the Naval Base area and was burnt to rubble following the incident.
He also said the number of people who were aboard the helicopter could not immediately be ascertained, while the fate of those on board remained unclear.
Earlier, residents reported hearing a loud sound from the direction of the crash before discovering that an aircraft had gone down in the swampy area.
The difficult terrain has also made access to the crash site challenging, with security personnel and other responders deployed to the area.
The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the aircraft crash and said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, promising to provide further details as credible information becomes available.
NEWS
JUST IN: Oluremi Tinubu Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out.
The First Lady arrived at the conference centre on Monday, October 5, for the women-focused political gathering organised by the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The event is themed “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity,” with the mobilisation message, “One Voice, One Movement, One Choice, One Mandate 2027.”
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The gathering is expected to bring together thousands of women from across the country, including women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, political stakeholders, community representatives and grassroots organisers.
20,000 women expected
The arrival follows a report published on Sunday, October 4, which said Oluremi Tinubu was expected to lead a major mobilisation of women stakeholders in Abuja.
According to the report, more than 20,000 women were expected to attend the Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out scheduled for 8am at BATICC.
The APC Women Mobilisation Directorate has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 40 million women’s votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Betta Edu, disclosed the target ahead of the gathering and said the structure was expanding its grassroots mobilisation across the country.
Speaking ahead of the event, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Women Mobilisation Planning Committee, Princess Gloria Akobundu, highlighted programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), CREDICORP, infrastructure projects, cash-transfer programmes and youth empowerment initiatives.
Akobundu urged women in Imo State and across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation structures and take the Renewed Hope Agenda message to communities across the region.
She said, “We are calling on our women across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation and ensure that the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda reaches every community and locality.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the continued exposure of Nigerians to kidnappers, questioning the impact of savings from fuel subsidy removal on national security.
Atiku disclosed this in a statement on Monday while reacting to the abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, in Imo State.
He described the abduction as “heartbreaking,” noting that although some of the victims had been rescued, others remained in captivity.
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Atiku urged the Federal Government, Imo State Government and security agencies to act with urgency to secure the release of all those still being held.
He also raised concern over more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa in Borno State who, according to him, have remained in captivity for months.
“These children must not be forgotten. Their families deserve clear updates, and the public deserves answers,” he said.
The former vice president questioned the government’s handling of insecurity, recalling President Bola Tinubu’s promise that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy would help fund security.
“Yet Nigerians remain exposed to kidnappers on our roads, in our communities and around our schools,” Atiku said.
He said young Nigerians were facing danger at different stages of their lives, from secondary school to university and now while travelling to NYSC camps.
“Young people face danger in secondary school, struggle with unaffordable fees at university, and are now targets on their journeys to NYSC camps. This is a generation being failed at every stage,” he said.
Atiku also criticised the award of what he described as huge pipeline security contracts to politically connected companies, while ordinary Nigerians continue to face criminals.
“The first duty of government is to protect lives,” he stated.
He called for the immediate and safe rescue of every abducted young person and the return of those still unaccounted for.
Atiku also reaffirmed his commitment to building a safer and more affordable Nigeria where young people can create, build and prosper.
“My promise to build a safer and more affordable Nigeria, where young people can create, build and prosper, remains unshakable,” he said.
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