Blackout Hits Three States as Vandals Destroy TCN Towers

A major power outage has hit the Nigerian states of Adamawa, Gombe, and Taraba following the vandalization of four transmission towers belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). The incident, which occurred on Monday afternoon, has disrupted electricity supply across the region.

The TCN issued a statement confirming that its transmission towers along the Jos-Gombe 330kV line were destroyed by vandals around 3:32 pm on Monday. Ndidi Mbah, the company’s General Manager of Public Affairs, revealed that the collapse of the towers has caused significant disruptions to the bulk power supply feeding Gombe, Yola, and Jalingo substations, impacting the service areas of Yola and Jos Electricity Distribution Companies.

“When the 330kV transmission line tripped, our operators attempted to restore it, but it tripped again,” Mbah stated. This prompted a field team to investigate the cause, which led to the discovery of the vandalized towers. Towers 288, 289, 290, and 291 were found to have collapsed, with significant parts of the structures stolen or damaged.

In response to the power outage, the TCN has begun efforts to back-feed electricity through its 132kV transmission line from Bauchi to Gombe, with plans to extend the temporary solution to Ashaka, Potiskum, Damaturu, and Billiri/Savannah. “We will do everything possible to restore supply to the affected areas while efforts are made to reconstruct the four vandalized towers,” Mbah added.

This incident follows a similar event in February, when a power outage affected Abuja due to the vandalization of TCN towers. The frequency of such attacks has raised concerns about the security and maintenance of critical infrastructure across Nigeria. As authorities work to restore power to the affected states, investigations are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the vandalism.