By ABAH SUNDAY, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that one of its Shiroro-Katampe 330kV transmission line, which is very critical to its bulk power delivery services, has been vandalised, even as the equally critical Dan’Agundi power transmission substation in Kano, has reportedly been gutted by fire on Sunday.
The SUMMIT POST reports that this makes it the fifth of incidents of vandalism recorded between February and and now, excluding several other fire or destructive incidents recorded against transmission infrastructure in parts of the country in recent times.
A statement signed by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed that at approximately 9am on Sunday morning, the Shiroro-Katampe transmission line experienced a trip, which engineers attempted to restore initially but were unsuccessful.
According to TCN, in a bid to identify the fault location, TCN linesmen were dispatched to physically patrol the suspected area in the course of which vigilante team leaders in the vicinity notified them of vandalism along the Shiroro-Katampe transmission line.
And TCN personnel confirmed the vandalisation of the 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line 1, from Towers 244 to 245, and the conductors were stolen.
TCN however allayed fears of blackout in the Abuja area saying, it “is currently mobilising for conductor replacement, pending completion of security operations at the site. Nevertheless, the second line remains fully operational, transmitting at full capacity to Abuja, in conjunction with the Gwagwalada 330kV line serving the Kukwaba-Apo axis.
“Also, the wheeling capacity of TCN towards Abuja and environs would be enhanced by the Lokoja – Gwagwalada 330kV transmission line”.
Almost at the same time, reports trickling in had it that the Dan’Agundi Power Transmission Station in Kano had been gutted by fire.
According the reports, as at press time, the fire incident had resulted in power outages affecting areas surrounding the transmission station in the Kano State capital, and efforts to contain the fire were underway as the Kano State Fire Service was actively engaged.
Also, it was not clear if there were casualties, and the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage to the transmission station were yet to be determined.
Frowning at the ugly development, TCN in the statement issued described the acts of sabotage as unacceptable, urging all Nigerians, especially security agencies and host communities to collaborate in protecting the nation’s indispensable by reporting suspicious moves that would result in the arrest and prosecution of the criminal elements.