The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced on Sunday that its transmission line supplying electricity to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, was attacked by suspected vandals.
According to a statement from Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, the incident occurred early Saturday morning, September 21, 2024, when vandals hacked down tower No T372 along the Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kV transmission line at approximately 1:44 AM.
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“This development has thrown the whole of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, up to Maiduguri in Borno State out of power supply,” Mbah said. The attack resulted in the cutting off of all four tower footings, leading to the collapse of tower T372, which was discovered by TCN’s linesmen on emergency patrol.
In response, TCN’s engineers are working to back feed Damaturu through a 33kV transmission line from Potiskum, while Maiduguri will receive power from the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP).
The company announced that work will begin immediately to dismantle and evacuate the collapsed tower to facilitate reconstruction and restore the transmission line.
TCN condemned the “incessant attack on our collective national assets” and urged citizens to remain vigilant in protecting these assets. “We encourage the public to report suspicious activities or persons around our transmission infrastructure to law enforcement agents or TCN offices in that vicinity,” Mbah added.
He emphasized that TCN is committed to quickly restoring bulk power to the affected areas and will expedite the reconstruction of the tower to ensure prompt completion.
