The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has again called attention to the threats posed by vandalism to the stability of the nation’s transmission system and has urge host communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities around transmission installations to security operatives or the nearest TCN office.
This renewed call has become imperative in the wake of Tower T99 along the Ughelli/Benin 330kV Transmission Line which collapsed on March 15, 2026, as a result of vandalism.
According to Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager, Public Affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, in a Statement, the incident was discovered during a line patrol at Coconut Village, Effurun LGA, Warri, Delta State, following a line trip.
“Upon inspection by TCN’s Linesman, it was observed that the fallen tower had some of its bracing members vandalised and carted away, which led to its collapse. The adjoining towers, T100 and T101, were also vandalized although they remain standing.
“As a result, there is a temporary disruption in the evacuation of bulk power supply from Transcorp Power Plc to the national grid through the Benin 330kV transmission line.”
There is however, a ray of hope as TCN says it has commenced the mobilisation of resources to facilitate the reconstruction, restoration, and reinforcement of the vandalized towers and affected transmission line as soon as possible.
TCN assures that the fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure is a collective responsibility which requires all-of-society approach.
“We call on all stakeholders to join hands in protecting these critical national assets from further attacks,” Mbah pleaded.
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