Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, and surrounding areas in Borno State have been plunged into darkness following the destruction of the Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri transmission line.
This incident, attributed to vandals suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist group, occurred just three months after the line was repaired by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
In a press statement issued by Mr. Ndudi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, the company highlighted the urgent need for citizens to remain vigilant regarding suspicious activities around electricity infrastructure. The vandalism was discovered by TCN personnel during an emergency patrol at approximately 1:44 AM on September 21, 2024.
The statement detailed that all four tower footings of tower No T372 were cut, leading to its collapse and resulting in a complete power outage from Damaturu to Maiduguri. “This development has thrown the whole of Damaturu, up to Maiduguri in Borno State, out of power supply,” the statement noted.
In response to the situation, TCN announced that its engineers would begin dismantling and rebuilding the damaged tower immediately. Temporary power restoration efforts are already underway, with plans to supply electricity to Damaturu via a 33kV transmission line from Potiskum, while Maiduguri will receive power from the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant.
This latest act of vandalism is part of a troubling trend; in May, TCN reported the destruction of three electricity towers in Maiduguri, which delayed power restoration efforts in the North-East region. Additionally, earlier this year, the same transmission line was targeted by the Islamic State of West African Province.
Since 2009, the North-East states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa have faced significant challenges due to terrorist activities. Although Boko Haram has been largely degraded and confined to the Sambisa Forest, they continue to execute sporadic guerrilla attacks on vulnerable communities and infrastructure.
