AEDC Alleges Land Grabbers Damaged Maitama Substation, Triggering Blackout

Residents, businesses, diplomatic missions and government institutions in Abuja’s upscale Maitama district have been plunged into a power crisis after the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) alleged that suspected land grabbers invaded its C2 Maitama Substation, damaging critical electricity infrastructure.

In a statement issued by its management, AEDC claimed the invasion was led by an Assistant Director of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), identified as Mr. Chinedu Okoro, describing the action as an unlawful encroachment on the company’s property.

According to the electricity distributor, the incident left vital power cables and other network facilities damaged, making it unsafe and technically impossible to continue electricity supply from the strategic substation.

“The C2 Maitama Substation is a critical electricity distribution installation serving homes, businesses, diplomatic missions and government institutions,” the company said, warning that the destruction has disrupted power supply across Maitama and adjoining communities.

AEDC disclosed that it has petitioned the relevant authorities, insisting that the substation and the land on which it stands legally belong to the company. It called for a comprehensive investigation and appropriate legal action against those responsible.

The company condemned what it described as an attack on critical national infrastructure, warning that such actions not only disrupt electricity supply but also cripple economic activities and undermine public interest.

While apologising to affected customers for the outage, AEDC assured residents that power restoration would begin once the facility is secured and the damaged infrastructure is repaired.

The allegations against the named FCDA official had not been independently verified at the time of filing this report, and no response from the FCDA or Mr. Chinedu Okoro was immediately available.