Vandals disrupted repair work on TCN’s Ahoda-Yenagoa 132 kV line

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported another incident of vandalism on its Ahoda-Yenagoa 132kV line, further hampering repair work following the previous attack.

This was stated in a statement by Ms Ndidi Mbah, General Manager, Public Relations, TCN.

The company said the latest attack occurred on November 19 and affected towers 29 to 31. Vandals stole about a third of the conductor, hampering ongoing repair work, which was already 85% complete.

A TCN team led by Mr. Emmanuel Akpa, the Port Harcourt Regional General Manager, inspected the damage and determined that the vandalism most likely occurred during the night.

Safety precautions and repair status

To prevent further thefts, local security forces have been deployed to the affected property in Ula Ikata, Ahoada East Local Government Area. In addition, voltage will be applied to the line from Ahoada as a preventive measure.

“Efforts are currently underway to replace the stolen 250mm conductor despite difficulties posed by difficult terrain and flooding.” – said Mbah.

Mbah stressed the urgency of addressing the growing problem of vandalism and theft affecting Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.

“These incidents significantly impede the expansion and stability of the national network. We urge the public, security officials and local communities to be vigilant in ensuring the safety of energy facilities.” she said.

What you should know

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported numerous incidents of vandalism and structural collapses. Earlier in November, another attack was reported on transmission towers in Okada and Ofosu communities along the Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho 330kV lines. A total of 31 towers were damaged, with critical components stolen, forcing TCN engineers to begin emergency repairs to prevent further power outages.

The problem of vandalism continues to plague Nigeria’s power sector, as confirmed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which said vandalism has caused 13% of accidents related to the electric power industry in the period from 1 to 3 quarters of 2023.