Pressure On National Grid As Vandals Damage 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 death recorded.

While the number of towers vandalism has dropped due to intensified sensitization of communities situated along the transmission networks and collaboration with community vigilantes as well security personnel, vandalism of electricity towers continues to put pressure on the stability of the grid.

Already, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) stated the electricity market is losing N8 billion to transmission loss monthly and vandalism is contributing significantly to it.

The inability to end vandalism means the TCN is diverting funds for critical grid development into repairs of towers that are functioning but stopped by the greed of individuals seeking cheap money from destroying existing towers.

Cases of vandalism in 2026

According to the TCN, the latest act of vandalism is the collapse of a transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State on August 8, 2026.

It stated that the incident was discovered during a line patrol following the tripping of the line on earth fault on the line.

According to TCN, the patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. The body of the suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members.

Also, a team of community vigilante at Ikhueniro arrested a suspected vandal attempting to vandalise a transmission tower along the Benin–Onitsha 330kV Transmission Line on 2nd August 2026.

The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Mr. Humphry Anala, an indigene of Auchi, Edo State, residing in Benin City, was allegedly attempting to loosen the tower base bracing when he was apprehended.

On July 29, the Nigerian Police arrested a suspect over vandalism of six towers along Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line.

The towers affected include T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003, and T1004, stripping them of critical bracing members and carting away an estimated 130 pieces of tower members.

On July 24, an attempted theft on 330/132kV Transmission Substation in Bauchi was foiled after security personnel at the substation intercepted suspected vandals attempting to remove critical tower members.

The suspects fled the scene on sighting the guards and 12 transmission tower angle irons, one heavy-duty metal measuring scale, and a white pickup truck believed to have been used for the operation were recovered.

Another six transmission towers, from T125 to T130, on Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II were also vandalized on May 30, fording both Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II remain out of service pending reconstruction of the affected towers.

Similarly, the company announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the vandalism of Towers T15, T16, and T17 along the Nkalagu–Abakaliki 132kV Single Circuit Transmission Line on May 9.

They were apprehended by local youths and members of a vigilante group acting on a tip-off. Preliminary investigations at the scene established that structural tower members were systematically removed from the affected towers and sold to illicit scrap metal dealers.

Tower T99 along the Ughelli/Benin 330kV Transmission Line collapsed on March 15 as a result of vandalism.

The fallen tower had some of its bracing members vandalised and carted away, which led to its collapse. The adjoining towers, T100 and T101, were also vandalized although they remain standing.

‘Vandalism increasing operational costs, delay infrastructure projects’

Meanwhile the Managing Director of TCN, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz described vandalism as one of the most persistent challenges facing the power sector.

He said the sabotage of critical transmission infrastructure, including transmission towers, conductors, insulators, and other equipment is disrupting electricity supply, increasing operational costs, delaying infrastructure projects, and undermining investments made by the Federal Government development partners, and the Nigerian people.

He stated that protecting the transmission network is a matter of national security and requires stronger collaboration among security agencies, host communities, government institutions, and other stakeholders.

“There is a need for effective legal and regulatory frameworks that impose appropriate penalties on those who vandalize critical national infrastructure.

He added that another major challenge is the encroachment on transmission line Right-of-Way corridors, noting that such encroachments create safety risks, restrict maintenance activities, complicate emergency response efforts, and can hinder future network expansion. (Daily trust)