Blackout in parts of Kaduna, Kano as vandals damage two transmission lines

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says two towers along its 330-kilovolt (kV) Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines 1 and 2 have been vandalised. 

According to a statement on Thursday by TCN, the vandals damaged parts of both transmission lines.

“According to reports from the Shiroro Regional office of TCN, the 330kV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second, as efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line, prompting the urgent mobilization of local vigilantes to patrol the lines,” TCN.

“This led to the discovery of two damaged towers, towers T133 and tower T136, with their cables badly damaged at several points.”

The commission said it had commenced arrangements to deploy the newly procured “emergency restoration system” to the site, pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.

TCN said it has also conducted an “aerial survey in collaboration with security operatives, given the area’s vulnerability to banditry, which poses a significant threat to both TCN installations and personnel”.

“In the interim, our engineers have implemented a temporary measure to supply bulk power to the Kaduna and Kano regions via the 330kV Kaduna – Jos transmission line,” TCN said.

“The vandalized Shiroro – Kaduna 330kV lines 1&2 are vital lines through which bulk power is transmitted to parts of the North West region, with each line capable of carrying 600MW.

“The vandalism of the towers and transmission lines presents a significant challenge to bulk power transmission in that axis.”

However, the commission said it is dedicated to re-erecting the towers and restringing the transmission lines to restore bulk power transmission through both 330kV transmission lines.

On September 23, TCN said its tower T372, along the Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV transmission line, was destroyed by vandals.

Similarly, on April 22, TCN said four of its towers along the Jos–Gombe 330 kV transmission line were vandalised.