The Kaduna government has shut down the office of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) due to alleged unpaid taxes exceeding 600 million naira.
In what appears to be a retaliatory response, KEDCO has cut off electricity to the Kaduna State Government House and other government buildings over an outstanding debt of 2.9 billion naira.
This action follows the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service’s decision to seal KEDCO’s headquarters on the morning of Friday, August 2, 2024, due to the tax arrears. Jerry Adams, the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna IRS, led the operation and obtained a court order allowing the immediate closure and takeover of KEDCO’s premises until the debt is settled.
In retaliation, KEDCO disconnected the power supply to key government facilities. AbdulAzeez Abdullahi, a spokesperson for the company, explained that despite attempts to resolve the issue through discussions with government officials, including a disconnection notice issued on July 21, the company had no choice but to proceed with the power cut.
Abdullahi stated that the disconnection was a last resort after various efforts to address the payment issue failed. While KEDCO received a payment of ₦256,920,963.88 on May 9, 2024, for electricity used between September and December 2023, the remaining debt owed by the Kaduna State Government is still significantly high.