Electricity consumers in Yobe and Borno States are facing a blackout after vandals, utilizing explosives, deliberately brought down the transmission towers supplying power to these states. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this unfortunate incident in a statement issued by the TCN General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, on Friday in Abuja. The incident occurred at approximately 21:18 on Thursday.
The statement provided details of the vandalism, stating, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that one of its towers, tower T372 around Katsaita Village in Yobe State, was vandalized yesterday, bringing down the 330kV transmission tower which pulled down tower T373 along the same transmission line route.”
The sabotage resulted in a power outage affecting parts of the North East, particularly Yobe and Borno States. TCN engineers, while patrolling the line to investigate the power cut, discovered the fallen towers. Villagers in the vicinity confirmed hearing a loud explosion before the towers collapsed.
Upon closer inspection, engineers found evidence of explosives used by the vandals in causing the destruction of the towers. TCN has swiftly mobilized one of its contractors to the site to initiate the reconstruction of the damaged transmission towers.
The statement expressed TCN’s strong condemnation of the incident, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to the government and people of Yobe and Borno States. TCN pledged to take all necessary measures to quickly rebuild the towers and restore power supply to the affected areas.
The transmission company appealed urgently to host communities to collaborate in the fight against vandalism, emphasizing the collective responsibility in preserving power infrastructures nationwide as a valuable asset for the entire community.
