The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported that a suspected vandal was crushed to death under a collapsed 330kV transmission tower along the Ughelli Benin transmission line in Delta State.
According to TCN, the incident was discovered on Saturday, August 8, during an intensive line patrol conducted by the Delta Sub Region, Lines Maintenance Department (LMD), following the tripping of the Ughelli Benin 330kV transmission line on earth fault.
The patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. The body of the suspected vandal was subsequently found crushed between the tower members.
Further inspection revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised. However, the tower remained standing as of the time of the report.
TCN condemned the vandalism and appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies and the nearest TCN offices.
The company stressed that the fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure requires the collective efforts of government agencies, host communities and the general public.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the extreme dangers of tampering with power infrastructure,” TCN said.
It added that vandalism not only causes power outages and damages critical national assets but also puts lives at risk.
“Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility. Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all,” the company warned.
