The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has once again reported the arrest of a vandal in Osun State.
It was reported that the individual was apprehended on Tuesday night by armed vigilantes while attempting to sabotage a transmission tower.
According to TCN, two accomplices managed to escape and are currently being pursued by authorities.
The incident was detailed in a statement shared on TCN’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle and obtained by Channels Television on Tuesday.
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Findings revealed that the targeted transmission tower, located in the Ikeji-Ile area of Osun State, had previously been vandalized on August 13, 2024, with essential components stolen. The suspects returned on the night of August 26 to continue their destructive activities, leading to the arrest of one of them.
Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, lamented over the increasing threat of vandalism, especially in communities hosting power installations.
Mbah stated that between July 1 and August 11, 2024, TCN experienced numerous vandalism attacks across all its transmission regions.
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She recounted several alarming incidents, including an event on August 7 where security operatives intercepted vandals in a blue pick-up van loaded with stolen tower components and cables along the Damboa/Maiduguri 132KV transmission line. Two of the vandals were killed by hunters at the Damaturu end of the line.
Further incidents occurred on August 3 and 5, 2024, in the Enugu Region. The first attack targeted Tower T9 on the Apir-Aliede 330kV transmission line, and the second targeted Tower T12 on the Apir-Otukpo-Yandev 123kV transmission line, passing through Ikpayango Village.
On August 5, vandals also cut off and stole a yellow phase conductor from towers T11 to T12 along the same route, causing a tripping of the 150MVA power transformer at the Apir Transmission Substation.
Mbah also mentioned the vandalism of Tower T328 along the 330kV Osogbo-Ganmo line in Osogbo, Osun State, on July 24, 2024.
The attack severely damaged the tower, leaving it twisted and bent, with neighboring towers T327 and T329 also affected. In the Benin Region, on July 19 and 25, vandals targeted towers at Oluku Community, cutting off supporting members and legs of the structures.
Similar attacks were reported in the Port Harcourt and Bauchi Regions, with multiple towers collapsing due to the damage.
Mbah called on host communities to take collective action against the vandals and urged communities, security agencies, and vigilantes to join efforts in safeguarding power installations across the country.
