Vandals Damage TCN Towers With Explosives, Kill 1 NSCDC Officer In Maiduguri

According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), an employee of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was killed on Thursday when explosives destroyed three of its towers along the Maiduguri–Damaturu transmission line.

This was announced in a statement released on Friday by Ndidi Mbah, the general manager of public affairs for TCN.

“Three of the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s towers along the Maiduguri – Damaturu Transmission Line were destroyed by explosives yesterday, December 28, 2023,” Mbah stated.

She claimed that in addition to the three towers being destroyed, one officer with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) lost their life in the tragic occurrence.

 “TCN commensurate with the family of the deceased and the NSCDC for this very sad and shocking incident,” she said.

The TCN reported earlier in December that vandalism had occurred on its Gwagwalada-Kukwaba-Apo 132kV Transmission line 1 between Towers 23 and 25.

According to Ms. Mbah, the vandalism of the line is believed to have occurred on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at one in the morning.

The TCN reported vandalism on its towers surrounding Katsaita town in Yobe State last week.

According to the firm, tower T373 was torn down along the same transmission line route as the 330kV transmission tower was vandalized.

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, denounced the incident in a statement released last Saturday. He urged all Nigerians to oppose such acts and warned those guilty for the harmful conduct that they would face the full weight of the law.

 “Deeply troubled by the recent act of vandalism on our power infrastructure. A transmission tower in Yobe State, tower T372, was deliberately brought down, causing a ripple effect that led to the collapse of tower T373 along the same transmission line. This criminal act occurred at 21:18 and disrupted power supply to parts of the Northeast, affecting Yobe and Borno States,” Adelabu said in a statement posted on his X handle

“While I condemn this deliberate sabotage, I appeal to all Nigerians to stand against such actions. We cannot let a few individuals hinder our efforts in providing regular electricity to the nation. Our Ministry is working closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate this incident thoroughly,” he added.

He explained that those responsible for this destructive act will face the full force of the law.

He said vandalism not only disrupts power supply but also poses a threat to the safety and well-being of Nigerian communities.