Industry data from the Federal Ministry of Power has revealed that 63 power transmission towers were destroyed by vandals between January and August this year. Most of the destruction occurred in the northern part of Nigeria, with some incidents also reported in the south and east.
Seventeen of the towers were completely collapsed due to vandalism, while the remaining towers had vital components like conductors, underground cables, and braces stolen, leading to a decline in electricity supply in the impacted areas. Officials from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attributed the poor power supply in these locations to the ongoing vandalism.
Detailed reports for 2024 show that vandals targeted multiple towers, including Tower 388 on the 132kV Jos-Bauchi transmission line, Towers 377 and 378 on the 330kV Gombe-Damaturu line, and Towers 125, 126, 193, 194, and 195 on the 330kV Damaturu-Maiduguri line. On the 132kV Bauchi-Gombe line, Towers 450, 452, 453, and 455 were vandalized, with critical parts removed.
Additional incidents included the vandalism of Tower 70 on the 330kV Gwagwalada-Katampe line in Abuja, and Towers 244 and 245 on the 330kV Shiroro-Katampe line. Further damage was reported across various locations such as Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, and Osogbo, affecting numerous towers.
The Federal Government expressed concerns that such acts of sabotage are significantly hindering efforts to provide stable and reliable electricity to citizens, despite recent improvements in power generation, which has risen to 5GW. Officials lament that the persistent vandalism of infrastructure—including transmission lines, substations, and distribution equipment—continues to undermine national development initiatives.
Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s spokesperson, stated that the company, with support from security agencies, is actively pursuing the vandals, who seem to be operating with increased boldness, despite ongoing security measures aimed at protecting the country’s power assets.
