Vandals Destroy Abuja Transmission Line, Worsen Electricity Supply
The electricity shortage in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been exacerbated by the recent vandalism of Tower 70 along 330kV Gwagwalada -Katampe.
It is worth noting that, Abuja, known as Nigeria’s city of power, has been experiencing frequent power outages due to insufficient supply to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
The root cause of this issue has been attributed to the inadequate electricity generation by power generation companies, who claim that the heavy debts owed by distribution companies prevent them from purchasing gas.
However, in a statement issued yesterday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed the vandalism of the Gwagwalada-Katampe tower, noting that it now poses a serious risk as it stands precariously on the ground.
The statement by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, noted that vandalism occurred on the 26th of February, around 11.32 pm.
“At the said time, the Gwagwalada – Katampe Transmission line tripped at Gwagwalada Transmission Substation and trial reclosure by TCN operators failed, necessitating a physical patrol of the line. The TCN lines and patrol team discovered that the four (4) tower footings of Tower 70 were vandalised, destroying the tower legs and causing the tower to stand on the ground, supported by conductors,” she said.
She mentioned that the occurrence resulted in a decrease in the flexibility of bulk power supply and a reduction of 250MW in the power volume supplied to Abuja.
Mbah further indicated that the company swiftly mobilized to the location of the incident and has already initiated emergency repairs on the damaged tower and its related equipment.
“We reiterate the need for vigilance in the fight against vandalism of power equipment. It is important that we report suspicious movements around all power equipment to security operatives or to the nearest TCN offices nationwide,” she said.
