By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Osogbo Region, has declared force majeure (forcible suspension of operations) at its Offa 132kV Transmission Substation following a robbery incident at the facility.
The station was invaded by heavily armed men who forcefully gained access to the control room and held all personnel on duty hostage at gunpoint, according to a statement signed by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah.
It further explained that the attackers ordered the operator on duty to open both the Offa and Ojoku 33kV feeders at exactly 12:45 a.m. on Thursday, 7th May 2026.
“They further demanded a total shutdown of the substation. During the incident, control switches and relay buttons were tampered with, and the 40MVA transformer was opened at approximately 1:07 a.m.
“After the operation, the 40MVA transformer was restored at 1:13 a.m., the Offa 33kV feeder was restored at 1:14 a.m., and the Ojoku 33kV feeder was restored at 2:15 a.m.
“TCN regrets the inconvenience this incident may have caused and reaffirms its mandate to transmit bulk electricity efficiently to distribution companies’ load centres across the country,” the statement read in part.