The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the arrest of a suspected vandal linked to the destruction of six transmission towers along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line, following a joint operation with the Nigeria Police Force.
In a statement signed by TCN Management, on Wednesday, the company disclosed that the affected towers—T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004—were discovered to have been vandalised during a routine patrol by its engineers on July 29, 2026.
According to the statement, the vandals removed about 130 critical bracing members from the towers, leaving the structures at risk of collapse and posing a serious threat to the integrity of the transmission line.
TCN said it immediately launched a joint operation with the Nigeria Police on July 30, 2026, within the host community, where officials met with the village head and youth leaders, urging them to assist in identifying those responsible for the crime.
The company further revealed that on August 1, 2026, the Police informed it that a principal suspect had been arrested and that part of the stolen transmission tower components had been recovered.
TCN officials subsequently visited the recovery site to verify the materials and called for the diligent prosecution of the suspect to serve as a deterrent to others involved in the vandalism of critical national infrastructure.
The statement added that investigators had obtained useful leads from the suspect and that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
TCN condemned the persistent vandalism of electricity transmission infrastructure, warning that such acts undermine years of investment 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 promptly report suspicious activities around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office, stressing that protecting national grid assets requires collective responsibility.