The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6 Calabar in Cross River State, Mr. Usman Gomna is alleged to have illegally arrested and detained the regional manager of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc, Mr. Collins Igwe.
It was gathered that Igwe incurred the wrath of the police officer when he led a team to disconnect power supply to Zone 6 for its failure to pay a debt of N31 owed to the DisCo since last year.
The debt accrued from unpaid electricity bills.
It was learnt that the AIG had invited the PHED staff and his team to a meeting with his men to discuss how to settle the debt so that electricity supply would be restored.
However, it turned out that the meeting was a trap to get Igwe.
NewsGazette further gathered that when the DisCo staff got to the meeting, Gomna reportedly ordered his men to arrest and detain Igwe.
He was reported to have said that Igwe would not be released until power was restored.
Efforts to get the spokesman for the state police command to comment on the matter proved unsuccessful.
Reacting to the incident, PHED accused Gomna of abuse of privilege.
“The AIG has not only brought shame to his exalted office for not paying his electricity bill but forcefully and illegally arrested an innocent Nigerian.
“As a Disco, we are using this opportunity to let Nigerians know that electricity is not a right or privilege but rather like every other service must be paid for.
“The AIG must therefore save himself further embarrassment by ensuring that he pays his bill like every other Nigerian,” said a senior management staff of PHED who craved anonymity.
