According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), 31 transmission towers have been demolished by vandals in Benin, Edo state.
TCN’s director of public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stated in a statement on Friday that vandals had targeted transmission towers along the 330kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho transmission lines in the Okada and Ofosu towns.
According to Mbah, TCN linesmen found the vandalized towers during a normal patrol. The towers had major damage and had important parts removed earlier in November.
“This incident affected 31 towers in total,” she stated.
“TCN engineers from the Benin Sub-Region have initiated repairs to prevent the collapse of the affected towers and to avoid disruption of bulk power supply.”
Mbah also said its Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line, which was under repair following a previous attack, was once again targeted by vandals.
According to the TCN spokeswoman, almost one-third of the conductor was stolen during the November 19 attack that targeted towers 29 to 31.
After vandals destroyed 13 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV double circuit transmission line, TCN declared on August 14 that Bayelsa state will experience a protracted power outage.
On October 29, the transmission firm announced that 65 percent of the transmission towers that had been damaged had been fixed.
According to the business, construction is still ongoing on the remaining three transmission towers, while 17 have been successfully erected.
“A team of TCN engineers, led by Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, has conducted an inspection of the site,” the statement reads.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at night. In an attempt to prevent further theft while repair arrangements are being made, local security has been engaged at Ula Ikata in Ahoada East LGA to secure the site until repairs are completed.”
“Additionally, the line will be energized from the Ahoada end as a preventive measure.”
Mbah added that efforts are underway to replace the stolen 250mm conductor.
The Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line is about 85% of the way through the restringing process, she noted, despite obstacles like flooding and rough terrain.
The occurrences, according to the public relations officer, highlight how urgently the mounting issues of theft and vandalism that continue to impact Nigeria’s electrical infrastructure must be addressed.
She called on the public to back initiatives to combat these crimes, which have hampered the national grid’s growth and stability.
As TCN steps up its efforts to secure its facilities, Mbah also urged local communities and security personnel to continue being watchful over the protection of electrical infrastructure in their communities.
