FG Spends N88bn Fixing Vandalized Power Towers

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that a sum of N88bn was spent by the Federal Government on the repair and restoration of power transmission facilities vandalised across the country from 2021 to date.

The TCN Principal Manager (Lines), Lagos Region, Seyi Onabajo, disclosed this at a one-day sensitisation programme held at the Odogunyan 132kV Transmission Substation, Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Thursday. The sensitisation, which brought together community leaders, members of security agencies, company representatives, and religious leaders, focused on the ills of vandalism of TCN infrastructure.

According to Onabajo, the activities of vandals have hampered the efforts of the TCN in ensuring that every community across the country has an electricity supply.

He added that all these considerations necessitate the agency’s involvement in a sensitisation exercise by engaging relevant stakeholders to curb the menace.

“We know what the company is losing. All the money that we’ve contributed to the government that was supposed to be used for rebuilding this place, instead, we are using it for maintenance. Record has it that, between 2021 and the present date, the government has spent over N88bn just on repairs against this vandalism, which is alarming.

“We all are clamouring for a 24/7 supply of light, that’s why we are also concerned about making sure that all communities are being lit up. If we are spending so much on repairs, how do we achieve the aim of TCN for the community?

“That’s why we are calling on every one of us to please, let us join hands and rebuild this mission to become a better place. Vandalism, as you all know, is a deliberate act — when you disrupt and tamper with our transmission structures just for self-gain,” he said.

Stressing the dangers of vandalism, the TCN General Manager of Transmission, Lagos State, Mojeed Akintola, stressed that the delay in repairs also hurts the affected communities. He cited an instance of vandalism that cost the agency millions in naira to corroborate the N88bn spent on vandalism repairs.

“Once a tower is vandalised, the downtime is always on the high side because you have to bring down the remaining one, then you start afresh. So, if you estimate that it’s running to either two, three, or four months.

“When the one at Abeokuta was vandalised, apart from the alternative source that we did, which took us four days, the repair of the 10 towers vandalised took three months. On that particular line, TCN spent N1m per day. If you now estimate that to three months, you know how much that will be,” Akintola said.

He concluded by charging members of the communities, security agencies, steel companies, and the general public to support the TCN in the fight against vandalism, adding that the TCN would continue to sensitise the public on the dangers of vandalism and the need for the protection of TCN infrastructure.

In his remarks, the Divisional Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, A. J. Dokunmu, disclosed that the Lagos State Government has established an agency to monitor and profile dumpsite operators and scrap buyers.

This, he said, would help in the fight against vandalism as individual operators in the scrap business could now be monitored effectively. According to Dokunmu, the NSCDC remained committed to ensuring that vandals are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Similarly, the Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo Police Division, Fatoberu Oyekan, urged the communities to prioritise the security of TCN infrastructure, as it is their property. He also encouraged the TCN to consider engaging local vigilantes to protect the infrastructure, an effort he said would complement that of the police in tackling the issue of vandalism.

Reacting on behalf of the communities, the Baale of Ladegboye, Ikorodu, Joseph Giwa, bemoaned the maintenance culture of the TCN in protecting its infrastructure. He also decried the influence of government functionaries who often deterred them from carrying out enforcement against violators of these infrastructures.

He urged the agency to prioritise investing in the maintenance and safety of power infrastructure. The company earlier reported that it spent N8.8bn on repairs in 2024 alone.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has called on the National Assembly to make laws that would make the punishment for vandalism more severe.