The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed that one of its key transmission towers, T372, located along the Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV transmission line, has been severely damaged by vandals. This incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, around 1:44 am, at Kasaisa village in Gujba Local Government Area (LGA), along the Biu-Damaturu road.
Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, issued a statement on Sunday, detailing the incident and its impact on the affected regions. According to the statement, the destruction of the tower has resulted in a complete power outage for Damaturu, the capital city of Yobe State, as well as Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
“This development has thrown the whole of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, up to Maiduguri in Borno State out of power supply,” TCN said.
The vandals were reported to have cut off all four footings of tower T372, leading to its collapse. TCN’s emergency patrol linesmen discovered the extent of the damage during a routine inspection, confirming the deliberate and destructive attack on the power infrastructure.
“This time, the vandals cut off all four tower footing, resulting in the collapse of tower T372 along the Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri section, which was discovered by TCN’s linesmen deployed on emergency patrol,” the company explained.
In response to this latest attack, TCN’s engineers are working on temporary measures to restore power to the affected regions. Specifically, they are attempting to back-feed Damaturu through a 33kV transmission line from Potiskum, while the power supply to Maiduguri will be sourced from the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP).
“Following this destructive attack, effort is ongoing by TCN’s engineers in the interim, to back feed Damaturu through a 33kV transmission line from Potiskum, while Maiduguri town will be fed from the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP),” TCN said.
In addition to the temporary fixes, the TCN announced that work will commence immediately to dismantle the damaged tower and begin the reconstruction and restoration of the transmission line. TCN assured the public that efforts will be expedited to restore bulk power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
Despite these efforts, TCN expressed deep frustration over the repeated attacks on national infrastructure. The company emphasized that these attacks not only sabotage essential services but also negatively impact the country’s economy and the quality of life for citizens who rely on a steady electricity supply. TCN appealed to the public to take responsibility for safeguarding these critical assets by being more vigilant and reporting suspicious activities near power installations.
“The company frowned on the incessant attacks on its collective national assets and enjoined citizens to be vigilant in protecting them,” the statement said.
In addition to this plea, TCN urged Nigerians to report any suspicious activities or persons spotted near the country’s transmission infrastructure to law enforcement authorities or the nearest TCN offices in the area.
“The company also urged Nigerians to ‘report suspicious activities or persons around our transmission infrastructure to law enforcement agents or TCN offices in that vicinity,'” Mbah said.
This recent attack is part of a broader pattern of sabotage that has been plaguing Nigeria’s power infrastructure. Earlier in the year, TCN reported similar incidents where four of its towers along the Jos-Gombe 330 kV transmission line were vandalized on April 22. These consistent attacks highlight the pressing need for enhanced security around the country’s power assets to prevent further damage and service disruptions.
As the nation continues to battle with the challenges of power supply, TCN remains committed to ensuring quick and efficient restoration of services. The company reaffirmed its determination to complete the reconstruction of the collapsed tower as swiftly as possible, while also continuing efforts to strengthen the security of transmission infrastructure across the country.
