Power Supply Threatened as Vandals Destroy Six TCN Transmission Towers on Apir–Lafia Corridor

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has raised alarm over the vandalism of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission route, warning that the incident poses a serious threat to power supply in parts of North-Central Nigeria.

TCN disclosed that towers T125 to T130 on the Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II were vandalised, leading to their collapse during a rainstorm in the early hours of May 30.

In a statement issued by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the company said the affected lines tripped at about 1:15 a.m., prompting efforts to restore service through a trial reclosure which failed.

According to the statement, a subsequent inspection of the transmission corridor revealed extensive damage to key tower components, confirming that the collapse was caused by acts of vandalism.

The destruction has left both Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission lines out of service, disrupting normal power transmission along the corridor and necessitating emergency response measures by the company.

TCN said engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the extent of the damage and commence plans for the reconstruction of the affected towers.

To cushion the impact of the outage, the company explained that the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is currently receiving supply through the Lafia–Jos transmission line.

The temporary arrangement is expected to minimise disruptions to electricity consumers served by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).

Describing the attack as a major setback to the nation’s power infrastructure, TCN condemned the persistent vandalism of transmission facilities, noting that such criminal acts undermine investments aimed at strengthening the national grid.

The company urged residents of host communities to support efforts to protect critical infrastructure by reporting suspicious movements around transmission installations.

TCN stressed that safeguarding transmission assets is a collective responsibility and essential for maintaining stable and reliable electricity supply across the country.

The latest incident highlights the growing challenge of protecting strategic power infrastructure amid increasing cases of vandalism targeting electricity facilities nationwide.