A major controversy has erupted in Imo State following allegations by the South East Political Watchdog that Orashi Electricity Company Ltd engineered the state’s prolonged blackout through deliberate sabotage, unlawful force, and targeted attacks on federal electricity infrastructure. In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Dr. Charles Ogbu, the group accused the company of consistently obstructing the operations of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Transpower Electricity Distribution Ltd, actions it believes endanger public safety and undermine federal investments.
According to the watchdog, tensions escalated on Saturday, November 15, 2025, when Orashi Electricity Company Ltd allegedly deployed more than 40 armed policemen to invade the TCN transmission station at Egbu. The operatives reportedly assaulted the operator on duty, forced him at gunpoint to shut down power supply, and allegedly abducted him, a development that plunged the entire state into darkness and deepened public outrage. The group described this act as part of an emerging pattern of interference and destruction carried out by the company, claiming repeated damage to federal and distribution infrastructure has directly contributed to the ongoing blackout that has disrupted homes, businesses, hospitals, and essential services across Imo State.
The watchdog further highlighted that Transpower Electricity Distribution Ltd is 40% owned by the Federal Government, insisting that any attack on its assets amounts to an attack on national interests. It expressed alarm over the manner in which Orashi Electricity Company Ltd secured its operating licence from the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC), noting that the company was registered on 28 May 2024 and licensed on 13 July 2024, just 46 days later. According to the group, such speed raises serious questions about due diligence, transparency, and regulatory integrity.
Also raising concerns was the company’s ownership structure, which lists four shareholders: the Imo State Government (5%), Maureen Okorogu (9.5%), Ndukwe Frances (59.85%), and Catherine Anumodu (25.65%). The group argued that the known profiles and income levels of these individuals do not correspond with the scale of investment required to operate a major electricity firm, pointing specifically to Frances Oluchi Ndukwe, a British national said to be closely linked to the Imo State Government. It described the opaque ownership structure as a source of public suspicion and potential cover for more powerful actors.
The group expressed disappointment over what it called the unsettling silence of the Imo State Government, questioning how alleged destruction of federal assets could occur repeatedly without any official inquiry or condemnation. It also revealed that Orashi Electricity Company Ltd had previously been denied a licence by NERC, making its later approval by ISERC even more questionable.
Calling for urgent intervention, the South East Political Watchdog urged the Federal Government, national regulators, and security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation into the activities of Orashi Electricity Company Ltd to safeguard public infrastructure and prevent any private entity from operating “above the law.” It warned that no private company should have the capacity to hold an entire state to ransom and called on civil society organisations to stand firm in defence of electricity consumers and ensure such incidents are never repeated.
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