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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the vandalism and collapse of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission corridor, disrupting power transmission on one of the country's key electricity routes.
TCN said the affected towers, numbered T125 to T130, on Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II, collapsed around 1:15 a.m. on May 30 during a heavy downpour.
According to the company, in a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah. the incident was initially detected when Line II tripped. A trial reclosure carried out at about 2:08 a.m. failed, prompting engineers to conduct a physical inspection of the line.
The inspection revealed extensive damage to critical tower components, confirming that the structures had been vandalised before their eventual collapse.
As a result, both transmission lines remain out of service, pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.
TCN said its engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the extent of the destruction and determine the materials required for restoration work.
To reduce the impact of the outage, the company disclosed that the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is currently being supplied through the Lafia–Jos transmission line.
The temporary arrangement is expected to help sustain electricity supply to customers within the coverage areas of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
Condemning the attack on the transmission infrastructure, TCN said repeated acts of vandalism continue to undermine investments in the nation's power sector and threaten the reliability of electricity supply.
The company appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
"Collective action is essential to protect national grid assets and ensure reliable power supply across the country," the company stated.