Pressure on national grid as vandals destroy 20 towers
As Nigerians continue to grapple with inadequate supply of electricity from the national grid, activities of vandals are truncating efforts in expanding grid connections and ensuring stable supply, Daily Trust can report. Analysis by Daily Trust indicated that at least 20 towers have been vandalized from January to August, with four suspects arrested and 1 […]
Nigeria's national power grid faces mounting pressure as vandals continue to destroy crucial towers, hindering the expansion and stability of the grid, according to reports from Daily Trust. From January to August, at least 20 towers were vandalized, with four suspects apprehended and one fatality reported. Despite increased community awareness and cooperation with vigilantes and security forces, vandalism persists, straining the grid's stability.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) reported that the electricity market loses N8 billion monthly to transmission losses, with vandalism contributing significantly to this figure. The inability to curb vandalism forces the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to divert funds meant for grid development into repairs of damaged towers.
The latest incident occurred on August 8, 2026, when a transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin line collapsed during a line patrol due to an earth fault. The body of a suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members. In addition, community vigilantes arrested a 34-year-old suspect, Mr. Humphry Anala, attempting to vandalize a transmission tower along the Benin–Onitsha line on August 2.
In July, a suspect was arrested for vandalizing six towers along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line, stripping them of essential bracing members. Another incident involved an attempted theft at a 330/132kV transmission substation in Bauchi, where security guards intercepted vandals attempting to remove critical tower components.
Six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV lines I and II were also vandalized on May 30, causing both transmission lines to remain offline for reconstruction. Additionally, two suspects were arrested for vandalizing Towers T15, T16, and T17 on the Nkalagu–Abakaliki 132kV Single Circuit Transmission Line on May 9. The towers' structural members were systematically removed and sold to scrap metal dealers.
Tower T99 along the Ughelli/Benin line collapsed on March 15 due to vandalism, and adjacent towers T100 and T101 were also vandalized. TCN Managing Director, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, emphasized that vandalism is a persistent challenge in the power sector, disrupting supply, increasing costs, delaying projects, and undermining government investments.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies, communities, and stakeholders to protect critical transmission infrastructure and ensure national security.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Trust's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
