- Vandals have attacked transmissions lines belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in the Niger Delta region
- The attackers stole tower components in the Benin-Egbin/Benin-Omotosho lines and disrupted ongoing repairs of the Ahoada-Yenegoa 132kV line
- Vandals have incessantly targeted power transmission infrastructure in recent times
Vandals have attacked transmission lines of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in the Niger Delta region of the country.
In the latest attack, which occurred on Tuesday, November 19, the vandals disrupted the ongoing repair of the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 kilovolt (kV) line and stole tower components from Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho 330 kV transmission lines.
This was contained in a statement by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, posted on the company’s official X page on Friday, November 22.
According to the statement, the attack on the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 kV line, which is currently under repair due to previous vandalism, affected towers 29 to 31 and stole one-third of the conductor.
It added that to prevent further theft, local security has been engaged to secure the area until repairs are completed.
The statement read, “A team of TCN engineers, led by Engr Emmanuel Akpa, General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, has conducted an inspection of the site.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at night. In an attempt to prevent further theft while repair arrangements are being made, local security has been engaged at Ula Ikata in Ahoada East LGA to secure the site until repairs are completed. 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 challenges posed by difficult terrain and flooding, the restringing of the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line is approximately 85 per cent complete.
“Recall that earlier in November 2024, vandals also attacked transmission towers in the Okada and Ofosu communities along the 330 kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho transmission lines.”
Vandals have been on a rampage
In what seems like a trend, vandals have targeted power transmission infrastructure in recent weeks.
Apart from the attack on transmission towers in the Okada and Ofosu communities along the 330 kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho transmission lines, vandals attacked the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line one in early November and stole two spans of aluminum conductor from the line. Vandals also destroyed two transmission towers along the vital 330kV Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines, which led to a 1,800MW loss on the grid.
The incessant attacks on transmission lines have disrupted power supply across the country, notably in the northern part of Nigeria. These disruptions have resulted in economic and affected business activities, as well as impacting the national grid.
As the TCN noted, recent acts of vandalism are part of the causes of the frequent collapse of the national grid. Multiple cases of grid collapse were reported in October as well as in November.
The frequent grid collapse may stall Nigeria’s goal of achieving 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power by year-end.
To this end, the TCN called for public support to end the menace.
It said, “TCN calls on the public to support efforts to address these crimes, which have significantly hampered the expansion and stability of the national grid.
“As TCN intensifies its efforts to protect installations, we appeal to security operatives and local communities to be more vigilant in safeguarding power infrastructure in their areas.”
Nigeria loses $26bn yearly to electricity shortages –Report
Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that Nigeria suffers an estimated annual economic loss of $26 billion due to electricity shortages, according to a report, Africa Trade Barometer, by the Standard Bank.
According to the report, businesses shore up electricity shortages by spending nearly $22 billion annually on off-grid fuel, which leads to increased operational costs.
