From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), said Police has arrested a suspect who tried to vandalized six of its transmission towers, T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003, and T1004, along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV Transmission Line.
The act, according to a statement from the TCN management, posed a severe structural threat to the towers.
TCN said that, the incident was discovered during a routine line patrol by TCN Engineers on 29th July 2026, when it was observed that vandals had stripped critical bracing members from the affected towers, carting away an estimated 130 pieces of tower members.
Following the discovery, TCN, had on 30th July 2026, conducted a joint raid with the Nigeria Police Force within the host community during which the village head and youth leadership were engaged to cooperate and identify the perpetrators.
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This lead to a vital information, when the Police notified TCN on August 1st, that a principal suspect linked to the vandalism had been apprehended, and that a portion of the stolen tower members had been recovered. TCN officials immediately visited the site to verify the recovered materials and reiterated the call for the full prosecution of the suspect to ensure justice is served.
The Police have however, obtained a solid information from the arrested suspect in their custody and promised to track down on the remaining members of the syndicate, even as investigations is still ongoing.
TCN has condemned in a strong term, the continued vandalization of power transmission infrastructure as it undermines years of investment in the sector.
“We are appealing to the host communities and the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office. Collective action is essential to protect national grid assets and ensure reliable power supply”, it said.
