The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said vandals destroyed the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada transmission Line One in the early hours of last Saturday.
Its Public Affairs General Manager Ndidi Mbah announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
She said TCN engineers attempted to re-energise the transmission but the line tripped.
The statement explained that after efforts to reclose the line failed, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was dispatched to physically trace the fault on the line.
It said upon inspection, the linesmen discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along Line One had been vandalised, causing the disruption of bulk power transmission along the route. The statement added: “Further examination revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminum conductor from Line One.
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“The Lokoja–Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and while TCN is still supplying bulk power through Line Two, efforts are underway to source replacement aluminum conductors for the two spans stolen from Line One.
“The rising trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers has become a significant challenge, severely impacting the country’s power infrastructure and hindering the expansion and stability of the national grid.
“This recent incident adds to an alarming pattern of attacks on the transmission network nationwide. In the Gwagwalada area alone, recent acts of vandalism include the attack on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on December 10, 2023; the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and several others on that axis. Such acts of vandalism continue to disrupt the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.
“We once again appeal to members of the public, especially residents of communities hosting transmission lines and towers, to collaborate with TCN and security operatives in combating this menace.
“Vandalism to power installations is a disservice to us all and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system.”