The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has praised the Omelu Community Vigilante for foiling an alleged attempt to vandalise one of its transmission towers along the Benin–Onitsha 330kV transmission line, leading to the arrest of a 34-year-old suspect.
According to a statement signed by the Management of TCN on Thursday, members of the Omelu Community Vigilante apprehended the suspect, identified as Humphry Anala, an indigene of Auchi, Edo State, who resides in Benin City, during a routine patrol at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026.
The statement said the vigilante members spotted the suspect beneath one of the transmission towers, where he was allegedly attempting to loosen the tower's base bracing before he was arrested.
TCN disclosed that the suspect was immediately handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation. He remains in the custody of the security agency and is expected to be arraigned in court after investigations are concluded.
The company said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly been apprehended by the same community about two months earlier for a similar offence. According to TCN, he was reportedly released after pleading for leniency following medical treatment but was later arrested again over an alleged repeat attempt to vandalise transmission infrastructure.
The transmission company commended the vigilance and commitment of the Omelu Community Vigilante in protecting critical national assets, describing the community's intervention as a vital contribution to safeguarding Nigeria's electricity transmission network.
TCN also lauded the continued collaboration of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in protecting power infrastructure across the country.
The company condemned acts of vandalism and sabotage targeting electricity transmission facilities, warning that such activities threaten the stability of the national grid and disrupt power supply.
It urged host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around transmission towers, substations and other electricity installations to the nearest security agency or TCN office.