The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported another case of vandalism on its Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line, further disrupting repair efforts following a previous attack.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs.
The company disclosed that the latest attack occurred on November 19, affecting towers 29 to 31. The vandals stole approximately one-third of the conductor, hampering ongoing repair work that was already 85% complete.
A TCN team led by Mr. Emmanuel Akpa, the General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, inspected the damage, revealing that the vandalism likely occurred at night.
Security measures and repair status
To mitigate further theft, local security has been deployed to the affected site in Ula Ikata, Ahoada East Local Government Area. Additionally, the line will be energised from the Ahoada end as a preventive measure.
“Efforts to replace the stolen 250mm conductor are currently underway despite the challenges posed by difficult terrain and flooding,” Mbah stated.
Mbah emphasized the urgency of addressing the growing problem of vandalism and theft affecting Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
“These incidents significantly hamper the expansion and stability of the national grid. We call on the public, security operatives, and local communities to be vigilant in safeguarding power installations,” she said.
What you should know
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported multiple incidents of vandalism and structural collapses. Earlier in November, another attack was recorded on transmission towers in Okada and Ofosu communities along the 330kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho lines. A total of 31 towers were affected, with critical components stolen, forcing TCN engineers to initiate emergency repairs to prevent further power disruptions.
- In the North-East region. The company revealed that tower T290 on the Jos-Gombe 330kV transmission line collapsed during the cable stringing process, despite being one of four newly erected towers meant to restore power.
- In a separate incident, TCN reported vandalism on tower T540 along the Makurdi-Jos 330kV double circuit transmission line, with parts of the structure removed. Although the tower remains standing, emergency repairs have been commissioned to prevent its collapse.
- Three towers on the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line—T306, T307, and T308—were destroyed on November 9, 2024. TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah confirmed the theft of two spans of aluminum conductor from line one, disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.
The issue of vandalism continues to plague Nigeria’s power sector, as confirmed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which reported that vandalism caused 13% of power-related accidents between Q1 and Q3 of 2023.
