The Nigerian government has spent no fewer than N8.8 billion to repair 128 vandalised electric towers nationwide in eleven months.
The managing director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed this in a recent quarterly power sector working group meeting held in Abuja, saying the money was spent from January to November 2024.
Abdulaziz was represented by Olugbenga Ajiboye, Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider, TCN, who stated that vandals or robbers had demolished 128 transmission towers around the country during the time under consideration.
He regretted that when the vandals were captured and turned over to authorities for prosecution, they were released on theft charges rather than vandalism.
He said: “As I talk to you today, 128 of our towers have been destroyed by either vandals or bandits. To date, we have spent about N8.8 billion, by our estimation, to put them back to full and functional use,” he stated.
“It is so sad that each time the vandals were caught and taken to the police for prosecution, the police would arrest them for theft instead of vandalism, and they would be bailed.”
This comes amid the surge in cases of vandalism, which had negatively impacted the country’s national grid and electricity supply.
Earlier this month, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported that vandals destroyed the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line, disrupting bulk power transmission.
It was gathered that the incident, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, November 9, 2024, disrupted the electricity supply along this critical route.
In a statement released by Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, said engineers attempted to re-energize the line early Saturday but faced an unexpected trip.
Mbah said after unsuccessful reclosing efforts, TCN dispatched a patrol team to trace the line for potential faults.
The team discovered that towers T306, T307, and T308 had been vandalised, with thieves stealing two spans of aluminium conductors from the transmission line.