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Kaduna DisCo Cuts Power To Government House After Row Over Debt

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In a dramatic turn of events, Kaduna Electric, the electricity distribution company, has disconnected the power supply to the Kaduna State Government House and other government facilities over an alleged N2.9 billion debt.

This action follows a move by the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) to seal the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC) over N600 million in unpaid taxes.

The disconnection, which took place on Friday, August 2, was announced in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) by Kaduna Electric. The company revealed that the debt had accumulated over seven months, from January to July, along with “historical arrears.”

Kaduna Electric described the decision to disconnect as a “last resort,” noting that a disconnection notice was issued on July 21 and received by the governor’s office on July 22. The company stated that extensive efforts to resolve the issue through consultations and reconciliations had failed, necessitating the disconnection.

The statement read;

“In a dramatic move highlighting tensions between utility providers and state governments, Kaduna Electric has disconnected electricity supply to the Kaduna State Government House and other state government accounts due to unpaid bills.

“Kaduna Electric announced the disconnection following extensive efforts to resolve the issue through consultations and reconciliations. The outstanding balance for electricity consumed from January 2024 to July 2024 amounts to N1,166,856,991.87, with a total debt, including historical arrears, reaching N2,943,060,116.77.

“Despite a payment of N256,920,963.88 made on 9 May 2024 for electricity consumed between September 2023 and December 2023, the debt remains significantly high. Kaduna Electric’s decision to disconnect power came after repeated attempts to address the payment issues, including several consultations with state officials.

“In contrast, other states under the Kaduna Electric franchise, such as Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara, have maintained their accounts in good standing. A disconnection notice was issued on 21 July 2024 and received by the Office of the Governor on 22 July 2024.

“The move reflects Kaduna Electric’s need to meet its financial obligations amidst broader challenges in the electricity sector. Kaduna Electric emphasised that the disconnection was a last resort after all other avenues for resolving the payment issue were exhausted. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) previously intervened in Kaduna Electric, installing an Administrator and Special Board to oversee the company during a transitionary period prior to an official takeover by the current investors.

“The Administrator committed to an agreement with the Kaduna Inland Revenue Service to pay N20 million monthly, including statutory monthly tax payments, an agreement that has been honoured since the takeover by the current management. The situation underscores the urgent need for improved financial management and timely payments by government entities to avoid disruptions in essential services.”

 

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Five Feared Dead As Bandits Storm National Park Service Office

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Armed men suspected to be bandits attacked the National Park Service (NPS) office in the Oloka area of Orire Local Government Area, Oyo State.

 

JomogNews learnt that the attack occurred around 9:00 pm on January 6, 2026, catching the NPS personnel by surprise. Several officers were reportedly killed or injured during the incident.

 

Further details, including the exact number of casualties, are yet to be confirmed.

 

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, was said to have confirmed the incident.

 

He said, “Yes, there was an attack by yet to be identified men against the men of the National Park. The Commissioner of Police and other service chiefs are currently on their way to the location.

 

“Meanwhile, the CP Femi Haruna has deployed tactical teams, Mobile Police Force officers of the NPF and EOD to the affected area to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” he explained.

 

 

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Lagos APC Assures New Tax Law Protects Low-Income Earners

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Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said the new tax law is not a weapon against the poor or aimed or an attempt to overburden struggling Nigerians.

 

The party decried what it termed the wave of misinformation, sensationalism, and deliberate political mischief surrounding the Federal Government’s new tax reform agenda.

 

A statement by the spokesman of the state arm of the party, Seye Oladejo, said the record should be set straight in the interest of truth, national stability, and informed civic engagement.

 

According to Oladejo: “First, it must be clearly stated that the new tax reform is not a weapon against the poor, nor is it an attempt to overburden struggling Nigerians. On the contrary, the reform is deliberately structured to protect low-income earners, expand exemptions, and introduce a more progressive, fair, and humane tax system that aligns with global best practices.

 

“Contrary to the alarmist narratives peddled by the opposition, Nigerians earning within the lowest income brackets are either fully exempt or will experience reduced tax exposure under the new regime.

 

“The reform targets efficiency, equity, and accountability – not punishment. Those who have chosen to weaponize falsehoods against this policy have done so out of either ignorance or calculated desperation.

 

“The truth is simple: Nigeria can no longer run a modern economy on an archaic, fragmented, and oil-dependent tax structure. For decades, the nation suffered from multiple taxation, overlapping mandates, leakages, and weak enforcement -a system that stifled businesses, discouraged investment, and rewarded tax evasion. This reform decisively confronts those failures.”

 

He disclosed that for businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the reform simplifies compliance, removes nuisance taxes, and creates a more predictable fiscal environment.

 

“For large corporations, it promotes fairness by ensuring that profitable entities contribute their equitable share to national development. This is not anti-business; it is pro-growth, pro-investment, and pro-Nigeria,” he added.

 

 

 

 

 

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Three Omatu Siblings Lost In GNI Tower Fire To Be Buried Jan 14

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The family of three siblings who lost their lives in the devastating fire that ravaged the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, on December 24, 2025, has announced their burial arrangements.

 

The siblings, Stephen (40), Casmir (39), and Collins (37), were trapped and burnt beyond recognition when the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Lagos Island caught fire.

 

The family, in a poster shared on social media and signed by Rev. Fr. William Omatu for the Family, expressed their regret over the loss of their loved ones and announced that a Parish Service and Songs and Requiem Mass would be held on January 7, 2026, at Jesus the Saviour Catholic Church, Ken Nlemedim Street, Bucknor Ejigbi, Lagos.

 

The burial mass and interment are scheduled to take place on January 14, 2026, at Nze Omatu Ikuamaeze Compound, Umumgboma, Umarugwy, Uzoakwa, Ihiala LGA, Anambra State.

 

The fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of the building, spread rapidly, trapping occupants, including traders, and causing part of the structure to collapse.

 

Emergency officials have cited poor storage practices, highly combustible materials, and structural design issues as factors that intensified the incident.

 

The incident has sparked outrage and allegations of negligence, with relatives of the victims claiming that the Lagos State Government and emergency agencies failed to conduct proper evacuation efforts, leading to unnecessary loss of life.

 

A brother to the three siblings, Camillus Ugochukwu Omatu had told the media that workers on site had no sense of urgency and adequate equipment to clear debris from the collapsed extension, which had blocked exit routes.

 

“After days of search for the victims, we accessed the building through the assistance of scavengers who are allegedly around to buy irons scraps. It was discovered that all bodies are burnt beyond recognition. We resorted to taking ashes from the troubled area for their burial.

 

“Since the accident, the surviving brother has been engaging stakeholders for possible evacuation of the collapsed extension area which blocked and trapped the victims in the building. But all efforts yielded no result as Lagos State Govt had claimed no casualty recorded.

 

“I left Abuja for Lagos and resumed at the accident site on Sunday, December 28, 2025.

 

“All engagements for possible rescue continued but the workers on site seemed not to be working with any sense of emergency, no adequate equipment to evacuate debris until we sought the help of scavengers who told us they have been accessing the place unofficially for purchase of iron scraps.

 

“For days, nobody helped us. We kept begging officials, but they moved like there was no emergency. Lagos State keeps saying no casualty was recorded, but how can they say that when we carried ashes of our own relatives?” he had told the media.

 

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) however stated that many of the traders who became trapped in the building were those who ignored warnings and were more intent on recovering their goods.

 

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had confirmed eight deaths from the fire with three burnt behind recognition while thirteen traders trapped in the rubbles were rescued alive.

 

The incident has left a trail of destruction and grief in the community, with many families still searching for their loved ones, as the Lagos State Government promised to investigate the cause of the fire and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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