The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday announced that vandals plunged 60 per cent of the FCT into darkness. This followed the vandals’ removal of the 132kV transmission line and underground cables conveying electricity to the Central Area and its environs.
The organization’s general manager of public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, who disclosed this in a press statement, said: “The Transmission Company of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that its 132kV transmission line and underground cables taking power to Central Area and environs in Abuja have been vandalized, causing power outage.”
According to Mbah, the vandalized 132kV underground cable transports bulk electricity to TCN’s 132kV Central Area Transmission Substation, which then supplies power through 8No. distribution feeders to AEDC for onward supply to its customers in the Central Area and environs. Mbah further noted that the vandalism incident, which was carried out around the Millennium Park axis of Abuja, affected over 60 per cent of the power supply to Abuja as the vandals carted away 40 meters of 1x500mm² XLPE conductors on the 2 numbers 132kV transmission lines.
The statement reads in part: “Consequently, areas experiencing power outages include Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako and Mabushi. TCN engineers have already been mobilized to the site of the incident to repair the vandalized cables. We enjoin Nigerians to be vigilant in observing and reporting suspicious activities to security operatives. We must work together to protect our transmission equipment and installations. This is very crucial to the development of the nation’s power sector.”
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, lamented yesterday that his office was of those thrown into darkness by the cable vandalization that occurred in the FCT. Speaking at the inauguration of a 100MVA power transformer at the 132/33 kV transmission substation in Isolo, Lagos, Adelabu described the act as a significant setback to the nation’s energy sector.
He said: “It can be depressing when we have just completed a transformer installation and few weeks after, they are brought down by vandals. This shows that we don’t love ourselves. This does not happen in many other parts of the world. A lot of places are in darkness today because of these acts of vandalism. For four months, Bayelsa State was in darkness because of local vandalism.
This act has thrown the Central Area in Abuja, Maitama, which includes my own office in the Garki Area into darkness. Why do we hate our country so much for us to engage in this kind of negative activity which does nothing but draw the country backwards? As we are struggling to stabilize energy power transmission in the country, some people are hiding somewhere to frustrate this effort and draw the country backwards.”
The minister called on all stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners and local communities to collaborate in ensuring the sustainability and security of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
