Vandals Attack TCN Towers Again, Disrupt Power Supply to Abuja

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported another case of vandalism on the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada transmission line, which has disrupted electricity supply to Abuja.

In a statement issued on Sunday, TCN disclosed that the incident took place in the early hours of November 9, affecting three transmission towers.

According to the statement, TCN engineers attempted to re-energize the Lokoja–Gwagwalada line on Saturday morning.

However, after several failed attempts, a team of linesmen was sent to inspect the infrastructure.

Upon investigation, they found that vandals had damaged transmission towers T306, T307, and T308, and stolen two spans of aluminum conductor, interrupting bulk power transmission along the route.

While TCN is currently supplying power through an alternate line, efforts are underway to acquire replacement conductors to fully restore the damaged line.

This incident is part of a concerning trend of vandalism impacting the country’s power infrastructure, with previous attacks on nearby lines, including the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line in December 2023 and the Gwagwalada–Katampe line in February 2024.

Expressing concern over the increasing frequency of these attacks, TCN highlighted the challenges they pose to the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.

The company urged local communities to work with security agencies to prevent further vandalism, emphasizing that such damage hampers the nation’s efforts to establish a stable and reliable transmission system.