The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said it foiled an attempted theft at its 330/132kV transmission substation in Bauchi.
In a statement on Sunday, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said the incident occurred on Friday at about 9:34 p.m.
Ms Mbah said security personnel at the substation intercepted suspected vandals attempting to remove critical tower members.
She said the suspects fled the scene on sighting the guards.
“An inspection of the area led to the recovery of 12 transmission tower angle irons, one heavy-duty metal measuring scale, and a white pickup truck believed to have been used for the operation,” TCN said.
The transmission company said the recovered items and the vehicle have been handed over to the Railway Division Police Station, Bauchi, for further investigation.
No equipment carted away
Ms Mbah said no equipment was carted away and no injuries were recorded during the incident.
“TCN commends the prompt response of its security team, whose vigilance prevented the theft of or damage to critical transmission infrastructure.”
The company reiterated the need for host communities to report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
Vandalism of transmission towers and equipment has remained a major challenge to power supply in Nigeria, often leading to grid collapses and prolonged outages in affected areas.
In January 2025, the then Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said over N9 billion was spent to restore vandalised power infrastructure in the northern part of Nigeria in 2024.
In May 2026, TCN said it recorded no fewer than 276 cases of tower vandalism between 2022 and 2025.
