The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that the Nigeria Police have apprehended suspected vandals in possession of stolen tower components and cables. The arrest was made after the suspects were found with the items in a blue pickup van.
In a statement released on Tuesday by TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, it was revealed that the stolen items were taken from transmission towers along the Damboa/Maiduguri 132-kilovolt line on August 7. The suspects are currently detained at the Damboa police station and are expected to be transferred to the Police Headquarters in Maiduguri for further investigation.
“The items were stolen from the Damboa/Maiduguri 132kV transmission line, which is still under reconstruction due to a previous vandal attack,” Mbah stated.
The statement also highlighted the increasing frequency of vandalism targeting TCN facilities across Nigeria. Between July 1 and August 11, numerous acts of vandalism were reported in various transmission regions. For instance, on August 11, vandals attacked towers T377, T378, and T379 along the Gombe-Damaturu 330kV transmission line, which is currently undergoing urgent repairs. A previous attack on towers T193 and T194 involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and two vandals were killed by hunters near the Damaturu end of the line.
In another incident on August 3 and 5, vandals targeted towers in the Enugu Region, including tower T9 on the Apir-Aliede 330kV transmission line and tower T12 on the Apir-Otukpo-Yandev 123kV transmission line. The latter attack caused a power transformer at the Apir transmission substation to trip. However, TCN engineers quickly responded, stabilizing the affected sections and restoring power.
Further reports of vandalism were recorded in the Osogbo, Benin, and Port Harcourt regions. On July 24, in Osogbo, tower T328 along the 330kV Osogbo-Ganmo line was severely damaged, affecting nearby towers. Emergency repairs were carried out to prevent further collapse. Similar incidents were reported in Benin and Port Harcourt, where TCN engineers took swift action to reinforce damaged towers and prevent power outages.
Mbah expressed TCN’s deep concern over the rising trend of vandalism at transmission installations nationwide. She urged all citizens, particularly those in host communities, to remain vigilant and cooperate in combating this menace, as continued vandalism could leave the power sector in a constant state of repair.
The TCN emphasized the need for collective efforts, including collaboration with security operatives, host communities, and local vigilante groups, to protect the country’s power infrastructure and prevent the resale of stolen items.
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