A major catastrophe looms at Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, the Logistics Command of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), as a 12-day power outage has left high-calibre military armaments, including bombs and rockets, dangerously exposed to extreme heat.
If the blackout continues, experts fear a disaster akin to the 2002 Ikeja Cantonment (now T.A Lagbaja Cantonment) bomb blast, which devastated the area and claimed hundreds of lives.
Military sources speaking under anonymity described the situation as “a disaster waiting to happen”, warning that without electricity to power the cooling systems, the risk of accidental explosions is increasing by the hour.
Additionally, the highly flammable Jet AI fuel stored at the base is exposed to soaring temperatures, further heightening the threat.
Beyond security concerns, the prolonged blackout has crippled essential services. The reference hospital at the base has been forced to refer patients to other facilities due to the lack of power, disrupting planned surgeries.
The mortuary, struggling with inadequate refrigeration, is now battling severe decomposition issues.
The situation is also taking a toll on the health and welfare of personnel stationed at the base. With a severe heatwave gripping Lagos, some soldiers have reportedly contracted meningitis, while others have resorted to sleeping outdoors to escape unbearable conditions in their quarters.
“It’s unbearable. We are serving our country, yet we are being made to suffer,” a soldier lamented.
At the heart of the crisis is the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ikeja Electric), which has been accused of failing to honour its agreement with NAF.
THISDAY gathered that despite NAF paying its agreed monthly fee of N60 million for 10 to 12 hours of daily electricity, power supply had remained erratic.
In November 2024, the base was billed N43.4 million but it was said to have paid N60 million, with no explanation or reimbursement for the excess, a situation which repeated in December last year.
The NAF leadership expressed outrage over what it called a deliberate act of sabotage.
It was gathered that Ikeja Electric had been written with the warning that continued denial of power supply could lead to dire consequences, both in terms of national security and military-civil relations.
Some soldiers, who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity, said they were on edge given the way the electricity company had treated personnel who were sacrificing everything for the good of the country.
Declaring it an act of sabotage, one of the soldiers told THISDAY that there had been an outbreak of meningitis, coupled with the fact that the actions of Ikeja Electric had undermined military operations and personnel welfare.
Speaking, also, on strict conditions of anonymity, another personnel told THISDAY that being without electricity for an extended period had raised fears of a potential disaster because even backup generators were struggling to maintain essential systems, with some storage facilities approaching dangerous temperature levels.
Stressing that the continued blackout could lead to accidental detonations or compromise national security, the soldier added that the base was running out of options to keep its critical infrastructure operational.
Even with the suggestion of going off grid and powering the command on solar energy, the source said they were exploring all options since solar was a long term solution while the command needed immediate power attention.
Attempts to get the reaction of Ikeja Electric proved abortive as calls put across to the corporate communications persons did not connect, neither did they respond to text messages sent as at press time.
