In a troubling development, suspected vandals have attacked the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada transmission line 1, leading to significant disruptions in power supply to Abuja. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, November 9, 2024, affecting three vital transmission towers.
According to a statement released by TCN on Sunday, their engineers attempted to re-energize the line, but it tripped shortly after. Despite efforts to rectify the issue, the line remained non-operational, prompting a patrol team of TCN linesmen to trace the line for faults. The inspection revealed that transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 had been vandalized, severely disrupting bulk power transmission along the route.
Further investigations uncovered that vandals had stolen two spans of aluminum conductor from line one. The Lokoja–Gwagwalada line operates as a double-circuit transmission line, and although TCN continues to supply power through line two, they are actively working to source replacement conductors for the stolen spans.
The increasing trend of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers poses a significant challenge to Nigeria’s power infrastructure, hampering the expansion and stability of the national grid. This latest attack is part of a worrying pattern of vandalism incidents affecting the transmission network nationwide.
In the Gwagwalada area alone, there have been multiple acts of vandalism, including attacks on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on December 10, 2023, and the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024. Such acts continue to compromise the stability and growth of Nigeria’s national grid.
TCN has once again appealed to the public, particularly residents of communities hosting transmission lines and towers, to collaborate with them and security operatives to combat this menace. Vandalism of power installations undermines efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission system and is a disservice to all citizens.
