Abuja transmission line vandalised, cables stolen, says TCN

The Transmission Company of Nigeria says its Gwagwalada-Kukwaba-Apo 132 kilovolts (KV) transmission line 1 has been vandalised. 

In a statement on Sunday, Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s spokesperson, said the line between “towers 23 and tower 25” was vandalised.

Mbah said the act was suspected to have taken place at about 1 am on December 10, 2023.

“When bulk power supply on the line was cut off, necessitating an early morning investigation by TCN linesmen,” she said.

“Investigations revealed a vandalized portion on the line route between Tower 23 and Tower 25. The vandals had also carted away conductors, causing power outage at Kukwaba Transmission Substation.” 

“Presently, TCN has restored bulk power supply to Kukwaba Substation at 07:08Pm as temporary solution through Apo Substation.” 

Mbah said the company is making arrangements to effect repairs on the affected line.

Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, Thomas Inugonum, TCN’s general manager for the Port Harcourt region, had said daily attacks on the firm’s facilities in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers impact negatively on efforts to supply uninterrupted electricity.

He said TCN incurs huge financial costs due to vandalisation.

“A 60mva cost about N1.2 billion, while a span of 132kv of our transmission line cost about 330,000 dollars, making our losses unquantifiable and humongous when vandalised,” he had said.

Inugonum said it is unfortunate that people vandalise facilities “worth billions of naira only to melt the metals to construct gates, pots, and cups”.