In spite of the efforts of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN to provide stable electricity to Nigerians, vandals have again attacked the 330kV Lokoja – Gwagwalada transmission line 1.

The General Manager Public Affairs Division of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said
early on Saturday, TCN engineers attempted to re-energize the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada transmission line 1, but the line tripped.

The statement said after efforts to reclose the line failed, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was dispatched to physically trace the line for faults and Upon inspection, they discovered that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along line 1 had been vandalized, disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.

It revealed that further examination revealed that the vandals had stolen two spans of aluminium conductor from line one.

The Lokoja–Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit transmission line, and while TCN is still supplying bulk power through line two, efforts are underway to source replacement aluminium conductors for the two spans stolen from line one.

TCN says the rising trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers has become a significant challenge, severely impacting the country’s power infrastructure and hindering the expansion and stability of the national grid.

The Company stressed that the recent incident adds to an alarming pattern of attacks on the transmission network nationwide adding that the Gwagwalada area alone, recent acts of vandalism include the attack on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on 10th December 2023, the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and several others on that axis.

It appealed to members of the public, especially residents of communities hosting transmission lines and towers, to collaborate with TCN and security operatives in combating this menace saying Vandalism of power installations is a disservice to all and undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system.