Three of the TCN’s gearbox towers were impacted by the attack that occurred in the early hours of November 9, 2024, the company said in a statement on Sunday.
TCN Reports New Tower Attack While FCT Experiences Power Supply Outage
According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), suspected vandals attacked the 330kV Lokoja – Gwagwalada transmission line 1, causing a power outage in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Three of the TCN’s gearbox towers were impacted by the attack that occurred in the early hours of November 9, 2024, the company said in a statement on Sunday.When TCN engineers tried to reenergise line 1 (the 330kV Lokoja–Gwagwalada gearbox) early on Saturday, the line tripped. Following unsuccessful attempts to reclose the line, a patrol team of TCN linesmen was sent out to physically inspect the line for any issues. They found that bulk power transmission along line 1 had been disrupted by vandalism at transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 after inspecting the line.
After more investigation, it was discovered that the vandals had taken two aluminium conductor spans from line one. While TCN continues to provide bulk power through line two of the double-circuit transmission line between Lokoja and Gwagwalada, efforts are being made to find replacement aluminium conductors for the two spans that were taken from line one.The increasing trend of vandalism directed at transmission lines and towers has become a major problem, negatively affecting the nation’s power infrastructure and impeding the growth and stability of the national grid, according to TCN. This latest event continues a concerning trend of transmission network attacks across the country.
The attack on the Gwagwalada–Kukuwaba–Apo transmission line on December 10, 2023, the Gwagwalada–Katampe line on February 26, 2024, and numerous others along that axis are examples of recent vandalism in the Gwagwalada area alone. Vandalism like this keeps upsetting Nigeria’s national grid’s stability and expansion.
“We once more urge the public to work with TCN and security personnel to counter this threat, particularly those who live in areas with transmission lines and towers. Power plant vandalism harms everyone and jeopardises initiatives to fortify the country’s transmission infrastructure.The development follows a string of grid failures that turned millions of homes nationwide into dark places, with 11 so far in 2024.
