CERTAIN areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have experienced power supply disruptions due to an attack by suspected vandals on the 330kV Lokoja – Gwagwalada transmission line 1, as reported by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
In a statement released yesterday, the TCN revealed that the incident occurred in the early hours of November 9, 2024, and affected three of its transmission towers.
“On Saturday morning, TCN engineers attempted to restore power to the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada transmission line 1, but the line tripped. After unsuccessful attempts to reclose the line, a patrol team of TCN linemen was sent to inspect the line for faults. During the inspection, they discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line 1 had been vandalized, disrupting the transmission of power along the route.
“Further investigation revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminum conductors from line one. The Lokoja–Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and although TCN is still providing power through line two, efforts are being made to acquire replacement aluminum conductors for the two spans taken from line one.”
The TCN highlighted that “the increasing trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers has become a major concern, significantly affecting the nation’s power infrastructure and hindering the growth and stability of the national grid. This latest incident contributes to a troubling pattern of attacks on the transmission network across the country.”
In the Gwagwalada area alone, recent vandalism includes attacks on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on December 10, 2023, and the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024, among others. Such vandalism continues to undermine the stability and development of Nigeria’s national grid.
TCN has reiterated its appeal to the public, particularly residents of communities near transmission lines and towers, to work together with TCN and security forces to combat this issue, emphasizing that vandalizing power infrastructure is a disservice to everyone and threatens efforts to enhance the nation’s transmission system.
However, TCN did not specify which areas of Abuja were impacted by the power supply disruption.
This incident follows a series of grid failures (11 so far in 2024) that have left millions of households without electricity across the country.
