108 Transmission Towers Destroyed in 2 Years, Threatens Energy – TCN 

The Transmission Firm of Nigeria, on Monday disclosed that about 108 energy transmission towers had been destroyed by vandals in numerous components of the nation between January 2022 and September this yr.

It was gathered that the vandals destroyed 132kV double circuit energy transmission strains, 330kV double circuit strains, and carried out soil excavation that threatened transmission towers, because the Federal Authorities described the event as sabotage.

The vandalism of transmission towers occurred within the Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Benin areas, although the federal government, via TCN, had contracted out the repairs of a number of the vandalised towers.

It had additionally deployed in-house engineers of the transmission firm to work on different vandalised towers.

Additionally Learn: Saudi-Nigeria Trade Volume Hits $600m

An evaluation of information from the transmission firm confirmed that 27 towers had been vandalised within the Abuja area through the overview interval, whereas 9 towers had been destroyed within the Lagos area.

The Kano area recorded the very best variety of destroyed transmission towers, as 52 towers had been vandalised within the area through the overview interval, whereas 10 towers had been shattered in every of the areas of Enugu Benin.

Nigeria’s energy grid had collapsed twice in September, throwing the nation into widespread blackout in each instances. The federal government and customers blamed this on sabotage and destruction of transmission amenities.

In response to the report, TCN acknowledged that in 2023 alone, it had recorded over 10 incidents of vandalism at completely different levels throughout its areas, particularly assaults on its transmission towers.

It acknowledged, “Within the Kano area of TCN, 49nos. towers had been vandalised; Osogbo area, 51; Abuja area, 19; Enugu area, 18; amongst others. 9 towers, from Tower 56 to Tower 65 alongside the Papalanto/Abeokuta 132kV transmission line, situated within the Obafemi Owode space of Ogun State, had been all massively vandalised, resulting in their collapse on Could 23, 2023.

“Consequently, Abeokuta and its environs had been out of energy provide for some days as the corporate needed to provide bulk electrical energy via an alternate line, to allow Ibadan Disco (distribution firm) to distribute electrical energy to its prospects whose provide was affected by the incident.

“In the identical vein, there have been frequent actions of vandals within the TCN Aba sub-region in August 2023, with restore prices totalling about N23. They embrace 122No earthing copper conductors and 244No copper cable lugs with N366,000 price of galvanised bolts and nuts carted away.”

It added that on the Port Harcourt sub-region, some instances of vandalism included Owerri Ahoada 132kv DC Line (T199 – T211), IPP/Elelenwo 132kv DC Line (T40, T43, T52 and T53), Owerri/Ahoada 132kv Line (T203 – T217), Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kv Line (T19 – T31) and IPP/Elelenwo 132kv Line (T40).

“Uyo Work Centre has just one case of vandalism at Itu T/S the place an underground cable linked to the generator was vandalised.

“The Benin area was not omitted of the nefarious acts as vandals attacked towers 30 to 33 alongside the Ihovbor-Osogbo-Benin-Osogbo double circuit transmission line, chopping the legs of the 4 towers, however they didn’t collapse and subsequently didn’t interrupt bulk energy transmission on that line.”

In response to the TCN, on June 8, 2023, the linesmen of Benin area whereas patrolling the Benin/Ihovbor/ Osogbo 330kV double circuit line tower, found that Towers 30 to 34 had been vandalised.

It acknowledged, “The tower legs had been sawed off and left to break down, which might have been catastrophic, because it might have led to the lack of energy provide and income and the chance of individuals getting electrocuted.

“The TCN administration condemned the actions of those vandals, stating that their nefarious acts negatively impacted the grid enlargement efforts of the corporate and are thought of saboteurs. As well as, sources that may have been used to additional enhance the grid infrastructure would now be used to interchange the vandalised towers.

“TCN is once more interesting to host communities to hitch palms within the battle towards vandals, admonishing them to report suspicious motion round transmission towers to safety operatives or the TCN workplace within the neighborhood.”