Several employees of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company on Thursday protested against what they termed as the “unfair arrest and detention of two of their colleagues.”

The employees also alleged that the arrest was a carried out on the orders of the Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mr. John Audu.

The aggrieved workers, under the Umbrella of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), claimed that two staffs of the distribution company, were arrested on Wednesday by policemen from the Sabon Tasha Police Station in Chikun Local Government Area of the state on the orders of the Deputy Speaker, for disconnecting his residence following his inability to settle his electricity bills for several months.

The Assistant General Secretary of the Union, Moses Amedu who led the protest, told reporters that the embattled Deputy Speaker had failed to pay his electricity bill for over a period of five months, a situation which he said prompted the officials to cut-off power supply to his house.

He viewed the behaviour of the lawmaker, as an abuse of authority, and stressed the need for the safety and security of workers.

The members of the NUEE protested against alleged inhuman treatment meted against their colleagues by Mr. Audu, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.

The workers marched to the residence of the deputy speaker to demand why he ordered the arrest of their colleagues who were merely discharging their official duties.

For close to two hours, the deputy speaker who was at home refused to address the protesters. He also refused to speak to journalists to give his own side of the story.

The electricity workers who laid siege at his gate in Mahauta area of Sabon Tasha, describe his action as inappropriate of a man who is supposed to make laws for the people.

Also, the management of Kaduna Electric, through its spokesman, Abdulaziz Abdulahi condemned the action of the deputy speaker, describing it as sheer impunity.

The company said that after discovering that the House had been reconnected without following due process, their men disconnected it again only for the deputy speaker to order their arrest.

•Sourced from Channels TV. File photo shows protesting electricity workers.

Update news