The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported a fresh attack on its 330kV Lokoja –Gwagwalada transmission line one.
A statement by TCN’s General Manager on Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the incident which affected transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line one, had disrupted bulk power transmission along the route.
According to Mbah, the attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 9th November, 2024.
“Early on Saturday, TCN engineers attempted to re-energize 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. Upon inspection, they discovered the affected towers. Further examination revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminium conductor from line one,” the statement said.
She explained that the Lokoja–Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and while TCN is still supplying bulk power through line two, efforts were underway to source replacement aluminium conductors for the two spans stolen from line one.
She decried the rising trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers which she said had become a significant challenge that is 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. In the Gwagwalada area alone, recent acts of vandalism include the attack on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on 10th December 2023, the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and several others on that axis. Such acts of vandalism continue to disrupt the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.”
She appealed to members of the public, especially residents of communities hosting transmission lines and towers, to collaborate with TCN and security operatives in combating this menace, saying vandalism of power installations is a disservice to all and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system.