Benue State has reportedly been plunged into a widespread blackout following a dispute between the state government and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) over an alleged electricity meter bypass at the Government House in Makurdi.
The dispute reportedly escalated after JEDC imposed a ₦50 million penalty over alleged unmetered electricity consumption, disconnected power to the Government House and subsequently suspended supply across the state following an alleged assault on one of its senior officials.
According to accounts of the incident, JEDC’s Revenue Protection Unit discovered an alleged meter bypass during an inspection of the Government House complex.
The company reportedly issued the state government a ₦50 million bill covering unmetered electricity consumption and associated penalties.
However, state officials were said to have disputed the claim and declined to pay the amount, prompting JEDC’s technical team to disconnect electricity supply to the Government House.
The situation allegedly deteriorated when members of a youth group identified as “No Alia, No Benue” confronted the enforcement team.
The group was reportedly led by Terver Gbenda, while the JEDC manager overseeing the disconnection exercise was allegedly assaulted during the confrontation.
The manager was said to have sustained physical injuries, although details of the incident and the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack have not been independently verified.
Following the incident, JEDC reportedly suspended electricity supply across major injection substations in Benue, citing safety concerns for its personnel and field operations.
The resulting outage was reported to have affected Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo, Katsina-Ala and other communities, disrupting businesses, household activities and services dependent on public electricity supply.
The reported blackout has also raised concerns about the implications for healthcare facilities and other essential services that depend on reliable electricity.
JEDC was said to have demanded safety guarantees for its personnel before normal operations could resume, while the dispute over the ₦50 million penalty remained unresolved.
Security personnel were also reportedly deployed around critical electricity infrastructure and utility offices to prevent further confrontation.
As of the time of this report, no official response from the Benue State Government addressing the allegations, the disputed penalty or the reported statewide outage was available in the information provided.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged meter bypass, the assault on the JEDC manager and the extent of the electricity shutdown require independent confirmation. The state government and JEDC should clarify their respective positions and explain what steps are being taken to restore power and resolve the dispute.
The development underscores the wider consequences that disputes over electricity billing and the safety of utility workers can have on residents, businesses and essential public services.
