By Stella Odueme
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line following extensive vandalism.
TCN said the damage was discovered on August 9, 2026, during a routine joint patrol of the transmission line by its personnel.
According to the company, in a statement signed by it's management on Friday, preliminary assessment showed that critical structural bracing members had been removed from Towers N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, causing the five towers to collapse.
Further inspection revealed that structural components had also been removed and stolen from seven other towers along the same transmission corridor.
The affected towers — J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19 — have been rendered structurally compromised and are at risk of further collapse, TCN said.
To minimise the impact on electricity supply, the company said the network had been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim Transmission Station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station currently without supply.
TCN Management said it was mobilising an urgent intervention to reconstruct the affected sections of the transmission line.
The company added that security agencies had been notified to support investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the transmission corridor.
TCN condemned the incident as an act of sabotage and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a robust and reliable national electricity grid.