The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the vandalism of six transmission towers along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line, with the Nigeria Police Force arresting a principal suspect in connection with the incident.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TCN said the affected towers—T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004—were discovered during a routine line patrol by its engineers on July 29, 2026.
According to the company, vandals stripped critical bracing members from the towers, making away with about 130 pieces of tower components and exposing the structures to severe risk of collapse.
Following the discovery, TCN said it carried out a joint operation with the Nigeria Police Force on July 30 within the host community. During the raid, the team met with the village head and youth leaders, urging them to cooperate in identifying and producing those responsible for the vandalism.
The company disclosed that on August 1, the police informed it that a principal suspect had been arrested and that some of the stolen tower members had been recovered.
TCN officials subsequently visited the location to verify the recovered materials and called for the diligent prosecution of the suspect to ensure justice is served.
The company added that investigators had obtained useful leads from the suspect and were pursuing other members of the syndicate, noting that investigations are ongoing.
Condemning the repeated attacks on electricity transmission infrastructure, TCN said such acts undermine years of investment in the nation’s power sector and threaten the stability of electricity supply.
The company appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
TCN stressed that protecting critical national grid infrastructure requires collective responsibility to ensure reliable electricity supply across the country.
