The Transmission Company of Nigeria has reported a fresh case of vandalism on its Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line, which occurred on November 19.
It said the attack impacted towers 29 to 31, with vandals stealing around one-third of the conductor.
This incident has significantly disrupted repair efforts, as the work had already been 85 per cent completed before the theft.
The company made the disclosure through in statement by TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mba.
A team from the TCN, led by Mr. Emmanuel Akpa, the General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, conducted an inspection of the damage.
The inspection revealed that the vandalism likely took place during the night.
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 urgent need to address the escalating issue of vandalism and theft that is severely impacting 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.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria has reported several incidents of vandalism and structural collapses affecting its infrastructure.
Earlier in November, transmission towers in Okada and Ofosu communities along the 330kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho lines were attacked. A total of 31 towers were damaged, with vital components stolen, prompting TCN engineers to initiate emergency repairs to avoid further power disruptions.
In the North-East region, TCN also revealed that tower T290 on the Jos-Gombe 330kV transmission line collapsed during the cable stringing process.
This tower was part of a set of four newly erected towers intended to restore power to the area.
