Darkness lingers in Niger Delta as vandals destroy TCN’s facilities

Darkness to persist in parts of the Niger Delta region as vandals disrupt ongoing repair of Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 kilovolt line, stealing tower components from Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho 330 kV transmission lines.

The spokeswoman of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the company, the incident occurred on November 19, 2024, affecting towers 29 to 31 and stealing one-third of the conductor.

“Vandals Attack, Disrupt Ongoing Repairs of Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Line, Steal Tower Components from Benin-Egbin, Benin-Omotosho 330kV Transmission Lines

“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 energized 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 percent 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.

“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,” the statement reads.

In the past months, the country has witnessed several attacks on transmission facilities impacting the national grid and electricity supply.

This comes as the National Grid collapsed at least twelve times in the past months of 2024.

Darkness lingers in Niger Delta as vandals destroy TCN’s facilities

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