By Mary Izuaka

 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line, following what it described as “severe acts of vandalism.”

TCN, in a statement by its management on Friday, said the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on 9 August by its linesmen.

“Preliminary assessment indicates that critical structural bracing members were removed from Towers N9, N10, N11, N12, N13, and N15, resulting in the collapse of five towers,” TCN said.

The transmission company said further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen.

“These towers are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse. To mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply from Ibom Power.

“TCN management is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line. Security agencies have also been notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.

“We condemn this act of sabotage and reiterate our commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid,” TCN said.

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Vandalism of transmission infrastructure has remained one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s power sector.

Last Wednesday, TCN said six of its transmission towers, T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003, and T1004, along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line were vandalised.

At the time, TCN said the incident was discovered during a routine line patrol by its engineers on 29th July, when it was observed that vandals had stripped critical bracing members from the affected towers, carting away an estimated 130 pieces of tower members.

Last Saturday, TCN said it discovered the body of a suspected vandal crushed to death under a collapsed vandalised transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.