Benue State narrowly avoided a major power disruption after an attempted vandalism on the Transmission Company of Nigeria's (TCN) tower along the Ugwuaji–Makurdi 330KV transmission line was thwarted by alert community members.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday at Watuolo village, Utonkon, in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State. According to TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, the vandals had targeted Tower T195 with the intention of causing severe damage.
However, the swift action of vigilant locals prevented the sabotage. At approximately 3 a.m., residents noticed suspicious activity near the tower and moved quickly to intervene.
While some of the perpetrators managed to escape, one suspect was apprehended and handed over to the police.
Commending the bravery of the community members, Mbah urged other host communities to take ownership of protecting critical national infrastructure.
“TCN commends the people of Watuolo village for their swift action and vigilance,” she said. “We appeal to all communities hosting transmission installations to emulate this example and help safeguard these vital assets.”
She further emphasized that the fight against vandalism requires a collaborative effort between security agencies, host communities, and the general public.
“As we continue to work with security operatives and host communities against vandalism, we appeal for more vigilance by residents. They remain a critical part of this battle,” she added.
The foiled attack highlights the persistent threats facing Nigeria’s power infrastructure, with TCN and other stakeholders continuously grappling with sabotage incidents that disrupt electricity supply across the country. Authorities have vowed to investigate the matter further and bring all culprits to justice.
[NAN]