A suspected vandal has been crushed to death after a vandalised 330kV transmission tower collapsed along the Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this in a statement issued by its management on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
According to the company, the body of the suspected vandal was discovered by its linesmen during an intensive patrol of the transmission line following the tripping of the Ughelli-Benin 330kV line on earth fault.
TCN said the patrol team from the Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department (LMD), traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed.
“The body of the suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members,” the company said.
Further inspection of the area, according to TCN, revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised.
The tower, however, was still standing as of the time of the report.
TCN condemned the incident, describing it as another dangerous consequence of the vandalism of critical power infrastructure.
The company appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
“The fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure is one that must be inclusive. All hands must be on deck for this fight to be won,” TCN said.
The company warned that tampering with electricity infrastructure poses serious risks to lives and national assets, while also contributing to power outages and damage to critical infrastructure.
TCN urged Nigerians to take responsibility for protecting power facilities in their communities, stressing that preventing vandalism was essential to maintaining a stable electricity supply.
“Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all,” the company warned..
