A suspected vandal has reportedly died after being trapped beneath a collapsed transmission tower in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the deceased was discovered during a routine patrol along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line.
According to the company, the discovery followed the tripping of the transmission line after an earth fault was detected. Personnel from TCN’s Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department, were deployed to trace the source of the fault.
The team eventually traced the problem to Tower 101, which had collapsed. During their inspection, they found the body of the suspected vandal crushed among the fallen tower members.
TCN said further checks revealed that another transmission tower, Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV line, had also suffered extensive vandalism. However, the second tower remained standing at the time of the inspection.
The company condemned the continued destruction of electricity infrastructure, warning that such activities pose serious risks to both national assets and human lives.
TCN urged residents of host communities and members of the public to remain alert and promptly report suspicious movements or activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
The company stressed that tackling infrastructure vandalism requires the cooperation of communities, security agencies and other stakeholders, adding that the incident demonstrates the potentially fatal consequences of tampering with electricity installations.