Blackout In Maiduguri As Vandals Destroy Newly Rebuilt Transmission Towers
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
Maiduguri has again been thrown into darkness as the newly rebuilt transmission towers supplying bulk electricity to the state have been destroyed by vandals.
TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday said, the incident involved two of TCN’s towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu -Maiduguri 330kV Single Circuit Transmission Line.
Mrs. Mbah narrated that the incident was believed to have happened at about 10:15pm, yesterday night, when the 150MVA power transformer at Molai Substation tripped at the same time as the 330kV transmission line supplying bulk power to Maiduguri from Damaturu Transmission Substation.
She explained that after the line tripping, efforts were made by TCN engineers to close the Mulai – Damaturu line to enable bulk transmission of electricity, but failed repeatedly.
She said, it was however, discovered during patrol by TCN lines engineers in company of security operatives that towers 193 and 194 along the 330kV transmission line were brought down using an explosive device, whose fragments are scattered at the site of the incident.
The GM noted that the area affected by the incident was Maiduguri and its environs.
She recalled that on the 28th of December, 2023, towers T193, T194 and T195, were destroyed on 28th December, 2023 using similar improvised Explosives IEDs.
Two out of the towers in question were the towers affected by yesterday’s vandalism attack, which were rebuilt after that incident.
She, however, said: “TCN is currently assessing the situation with the view to deciding on the best approach to ensuring the temporary restoration of the power supply while a contractor is mobilized to rebuild the two transmission towers.
“We will continue to do everything possible with the assistance of security operatives to protect our transmission towers and we are also calling upon the government and well-meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against the destruction of our collective national assets”, he said.
