Oredola Adeola

Despite numerous arrests made so far 2024, electricity vandals have continue their onslaught unabated, as Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has again confirmed the capture of a vandal in Osun State, caught in the act of returning to sabotage a transmission tower.

The TCN also revealed that two accomplices remain at large, and are being trailed by the security operatives.

The incident was detailed in a statement shared by TCN via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle and obtained by Advisors Reports on Tuesday.

According to the statement, one vandal was apprehended on the night of August 26, 2024, by armed vigilantes in Osun State.

However, two others escaped and are currently being pursued by the police.

TCN disclosed that the same transmission tower, located in the Ikeji-Ile area of Osun State, had been previously vandalized on August 13, 2024, with vital components stolen.

The suspects reportedly returned on the night of August 26 to continue their destructive activities, leading to the arrest of one of them.

Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, in a recent statement, had expressed concern over the escalating threat of vandalism, particularly in communities hosting power installations.

She highlighted that between July 1 and August 11, 2024, TCN experienced numerous vandalism attacks across all its transmission regions.

Mbah provided several alarming incidents, including an August 7 event where security operatives intercepted vandals in a blue pick-up van loaded with stolen tower components and cables along the Damboa/Maiduguri 132KV transmission line.

Two of the vandals, according to her, were killed by hunters at the Damaturu end of the line.

Further, on August 3 and 5, 2024, vandals attacked towers in the Enugu Region. The first attack targeted Tower T9 on the Apir-Aliede 330kV transmission line, and the second targeted Tower T12 on the Apir-Otukpo-Yandev 123kV transmission line, passing through Ikpayango Village.

On August 5, vandals also cut off and stole a yellow phase conductor from towers T11 to T12 along the same route, causing a tripping of the 150MVA power transformer at the Apir Transmission Substation.

Mbah recounted additional incidents, including the vandalism of Tower T328 along the 330kV Osogbo-Ganmo line in Osogbo, Osun State, on July 24, 2024.

The attack severely damaged the tower, leaving it twisted and bent, with neighboring towers T327 and T329 also affected. In the Benin Region, on July 19 and 25, vandals targeted towers at Oluku Community, cutting off supporting members and legs of the structures.

Similar attacks were reported in the Port Harcourt and Bauchi Regions, with multiple towers collapsing due to the damage.

Mbah has therefore appealed to host communities , calling for collective action against the vandals.

The TCN’s spokesperson also urged communities, security agencies, and vigilantes to join efforts in safeguarding power installations across the country.