The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of six transmission towers on the Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II following acts of vandalism, resulting in a major disruption to power transmission along the corridor.
According to a statement issued today Tuesday by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the affected towers, designated T125 to T130, collapsed at about 1:15 a.m. on May 30 during a heavy downpour.
The company said the incident was initially detected after Transmission Line II tripped.
A trial reclosure carried out at 2:08 a.m. failed, prompting engineers to undertake a physical inspection of the line.
“The line trace revealed extensive damage to critical components of towers T125 to T130, confirming acts of vandalism on the affected section of the transmission corridor,” the statement said.
As a result of the damage, both Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II have been taken out of service pending the reconstruction of the affected towers.
TCN disclosed that its engineers have been mobilised to the site to assess the extent of the damage and determine the materials required to commence repairs and restore normal transmission operations.
To mitigate the impact of the outage, the company said the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is currently being supplied through the Lafia–Jos transmission line.
The temporary arrangement is expected to minimise disruptions to electricity customers within the franchise areas of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
TCN condemned the continued vandalism of power infrastructure across the country, describing it as a serious threat to investments in the electricity sector and the reliability of the national grid.
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.
“Collective action is essential to protect national grid assets and ensure reliable power supply,” the statement added.
