RismadarVoice Reporters
October 25, 2026
The Benue State Government has assured residents that efforts are underway to restore electricity supply following a prolonged outage linked to a dispute with Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JED).
Governor Hyacinth Alia has directed relevant authorities to resolve the crisis urgently, as households, businesses and public institutions continue to experience disruptions.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, October 24.
Iorpev acknowledged the hardship caused by the outage, particularly for traders, artisans, students, hospitals and small businesses that depend on electricity for their daily operations.
He said the government was engaging JED, security agencies and other stakeholders to restore normal supply while addressing the disagreements that led to the disruption.
The crisis followed allegations by JED that suspected youths invaded its Makurdi office on October 21, assaulted employees and abducted 10 workers.
The company alleged that the incident was connected to a dispute over electricity supply to the Government House and the State House of Assembly.
JED also raised concerns about alleged metering irregularities and the forced reconnection of electricity installations.
However, the Benue State Government rejected allegations linking it to the reported attack, describing them as unfounded.
Iorpev maintained that the government neither authorised violence against electricity workers nor supported unlawful interference with electricity installations.
He said security agencies had been directed to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The commissioner warned that anyone found responsible for assaulting workers, intimidating personnel or damaging property would face legal consequences.
He also appealed to JED and electricity workers’ unions to prioritise the welfare of residents affected by the outage.
According to him, the government was prepared to provide necessary assurances for the safety of electricity personnel while negotiations continued.
Meanwhile, electricity workers’ unions have expressed concern over the alleged attack, with the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies threatening to withdraw its members from affected offices.
The government urged residents to remain calm, avoid violence and protect electricity infrastructure against vandalism.
Residents were also encouraged to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
In a related development, a local report on Saturday indicated that JED had agreed during discussions with government representatives to restore electricity supply.
However, independent confirmation that electricity had been fully restored across affected communities was not immediately available.
The state government pledged to provide further updates as efforts continued to resolve the dispute and restore normal electricity services.
