Kehinde Fajobi
Suspected vandals have damaged the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line 1, disrupting power supply to Abuja, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed on Sunday.
According to a TCN statement, the incident occurred in the early hours of November 9, 2024, affecting three transmission towers.
“Early on Saturday, TCN engineers attempted to re-energise the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line 1, but the line tripped.
“After efforts to reclose the line failed, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was dispatched to physically trace the line for faults,” TCN reported.
“Upon inspection, they discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line 1 had been vandalised, disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.”
The company revealed that the vandals stole two spans of aluminium conductor from the line.
Although bulk power is still supplied through line 2, TCN is working to obtain replacement conductors for the damaged spans.
Highlighting the frequency of recent attacks, TCN stated that “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.”
The company noted that the Gwagwalada area has seen multiple incidents, including an attack on the Gwagwalada-Kukuwaba-Apo transmission line in December 2023 and the Gwagwalada-Katampe line in February 2024, among others.
TCN appealed to the public, especially those near transmission sites, to work with TCN and security agencies to prevent further damage.
“Vandalism of power installations is a disservice to us all and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system,” the company said.