Abuja, June 2, 2026 — The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the vandalism of six transmission towers along the critical Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission corridor, leading to a major disruption in electricity supply across parts of the country.
According to a statement issued by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the affected towers—numbered T125 to T130 on Transmission Lines I and II—were discovered to have sustained significant damage following a system disturbance in the early hours of May 30, 2026.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. during a heavy downpour, initially triggered a tripping of the lines. A trial reclosure carried out at about 2:08 a.m. failed, prompting a detailed physical inspection of the transmission route.
“Subsequent line tracing revealed extensive damage to critical components of the affected towers, confirming acts of vandalism,” the statement said.
As a result, both transmission lines remain out of service, with TCN engineers already deployed to the site to assess the full extent of the damage and determine the materials required for reconstruction and restoration of normal operations.
To mitigate the impact of the outage, TCN disclosed that the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is currently being supplied via the Lafia–Jos transmission line, serving as a temporary alternative to support electricity distribution in affected areas.
The disruption has directly impacted customers under the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), with supply constraints expected to persist until full repairs are completed.
TCN condemned the recurring vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such acts continue to undermine investments in the power sector and threaten the stability of the national grid.
The company also called on host communities and the general public to support efforts to safeguard transmission assets by remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious activities to security agencies or nearby TCN offices.
“Collective action is crucial to protecting national grid infrastructure and ensuring stable electricity supply nationwide,” the statement added.
