The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) revealed on Sunday the collapse of the national grid in certain areas of the country, attributing the incident to the vandalization of its tower number 388 along the Jos-Bauchi, 132kV Single Circuit transmission line.
According to Ndidi Mbah, the TCN General Manager of Public Affairs, the collapse, suspected to have occurred on February 1, 2024, at approximately 10:20 pm, resulted in power outages in Yobe, Lagos, and Borno states.
Mbah elaborated, stating, “Following a line trip in Jos, Plateau State and bearing in mind past experiences associated with line tripping in that axis, the General Manager, Transmission of Bauchi Region, Engr. Tijjani Ahmadu invited the police anti-bomb squad and the Department of State Services (DSS) to accompany the TCN line crew and investigate the transmission line to find the cause of the tripping.”
Upon inspection, the team discovered remnants of detonated explosives by vandals near the tower legs, leading to the collapse of the tower.
Mbah highlighted a similar incident on December 21, 2023, where towers T372 and T373 along the Gombe-Damaturu 330kV Single Circuit transmission line were brought down by vandalism, resulting in power supply disruptions and fatalities.
The TCN has initiated emergency measures by engaging one of its contractors to swiftly mobilize to the site for reconstruction and restringing of the affected line and tower.
Despite TCN’s commitment to rehabilitate and expand the nation’s bulk power transmission network, the continuous vandalism and theft of power equipment pose significant setbacks to these efforts. Funds allocated for grid expansion are often redirected urgently to repair vandalized infrastructure, impeding progress in grid development.
The TCN emphasized the need for concerted efforts to combat vandalism and safeguard critical power infrastructure to ensure consistent bulk power transmission across the country.
