Vandals strike again, destroy Lokoja transmission line
Vandals have again attacked one of the transmission lines belong to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Recall that the Minister of Power, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu had earlier decried that vandalism was affecting the country’s power supply.
The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in response had ordered the National Security Adviser (NSA) and security agencies to deploy their forces to secure the TCN agents restoring the power.
The latest attack by the vandals aa disclosed by the TCN Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah yesterday is on the 330kV Lokoja – Gwagwalada transmission line 1.
The TCN in its statement reported that the attack happened in the early hours of Saturday 9th November 2024.
“Early on Saturday, TCN engineers attempted t? re-energise the 330V Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line 1, but the line tripped.
“After efforts to reclose the line failed, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was dispatched to physically trace the line for faults. Upon inspection, they discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line 1 had been vandalised, disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.
“Further examination revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminium conductor from line one. The Lokoja-Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and while TCN is still supplying bulk power through line two, efforts are underway to source replacement aluminium conductors for the two spans stolen from line one.
“The rising trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers has become a significant challenge, severely impacting the country’s power infrastructure and hindering the expansion and stability of the national grid. This recent incident adds to an alarming pattern of attacks on the transmission network nationwide.
“In the Gwagwalada area alone, recent acts of vandalism attack on the Gwagwalada-Kukuwaba-Apo transmission line on 10th December 2023, the Gwagwalada-Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and several others on that axis. Such acts of vandalism continue to disrupt the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.
“We once again appeal to members of the public, especially residents of communities
nosting transmission lines and towers, to collaborate with TCN and security operatives in combating this menace.
“Vandalism of power installations is a disservice to us all and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system,” the statement read.
