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The management of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc. has received with dismay, a very disturbing report on the involvement of a retired police officer and a serving officer of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who assaulted, injured, and arrested five (5) members of staff of the electricity distribution company.
The incident occurred at Redemption Street, Rumuekini, Obio-Akpor LGA in Rivers State on the 14th of March 2022 while the workers were engaged in their official task of load/phase balancing responsible for the low voltage being experienced in the area.
According to a member of the team, while in the process of rectifying the load balance, she approached the retired police officer whose name was obtained as Mr. Simon Ede with account number 826516124001 for verification of his electricity bill and discovered that he had not paid his electricity bill since December 2021. He was advised of the need to pay his bill, but he insisted he was not paying to give countless excuses, it was at this point that the officials of PHED tried to disconnect him.
In the process of disconnecting his premises from supply, he forcefully hit and pushed down the PHED staff from the ladder and started biting and inflicting injuries on the staff, he went further to invite a serving officer to arrest the other members of PHED staff at the scene of the incident.
A recorded video captured the ugly moment revealing the despicable act of the ex-cop disfiguring the Disco staff with multiple bites in quick succession while others scampered for safety.
Mr Ede did not end his show of aggression after such a life-threatening assault but proceeded to call his accomplice who is a serving police officer attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to arrest the four (4) PHED staff.
The detained team were later released after they had made entries at the police station. Meanwhile, the injured staff is currently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed specialist hospital.
It is inconceivable and condemnable that a retired police officer would go to such length in assaulting a fellow human being especially one going about his normal course of business.
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc wish to state clearly that such irresponsible behavior and abuse is unacceptable. The MD/CEO of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc, Dr. Henry Ajagbawa, has directed the company’s legal team to commence legal proceedings against the assailants noting that the company will pursue the case to a logical conclusion.