Nigeria: Five Transmission Towers In Akwa Ibom Have Collapsed After Vandalism, TCN Says

Nigeria’s Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said on Friday that five transmission towers in Akwa Ibom state had collapsed after vandals removed critical structural members, forcing the network to reconfigure power supplies in the area.

TCN said the damage was discovered on Aug. 9 during a routine joint patrol of the transmission line by its linesmen.

A preliminary assessment found that critical structural bracing members had been removed from towers N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, causing the towers to collapse, the company said in a statement signed by its management and shared on X.

Further inspection found that structural members had also been removed and stolen from seven other towers along the same transmission corridor, TCN said.

The affected towers — J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19 — had been structurally compromised and could also collapse, it said.

“To mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply,” TCN said.

The company said it was mobilising an urgent intervention to reconstruct the damaged sections of the transmission line and restore normal network operations.

Security agencies had been notified to support investigations and prevent further vandalism along the transmission route, TCN said.

The company condemned the vandalism as an act of sabotage and urged stakeholders and security agencies to remain vigilant as efforts continued to protect critical electricity infrastructure and prevent further disruptions to power supply.