The ongoing effort by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to rebuild the recently vandalised Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line has been hampered by a fresh attack on the line.
TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah who announced the development in a statement on Friday, revealed that the attack, which affected towers 29 to 31, resulted in the theft of approximately one-third of the conductor.
According to her, a team of TCN engineers, led by Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, has conducted an inspection of the site, and preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at night.
She said in an attempt to prevent further theft while repair arrangements are being made, local security has been engaged at Ula Ikata in Ahoada East LGA to secure the site until repairs are completed.
Additionally, she said, the line would be energized from the Ahoada end as a preventive measure.
Mrs Mbah disclosed that efforts to replace the stolen 250mm conductor are currently underway, noting that despite the challenges posed by difficult terrain and flooding, the restringing of the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line is approximately 85% complete.
She noted that earlier in November, vandals also attacked transmission towers in the Okada and Ofosu Communities along the 330kV Benin-Egbin and Benin-Omotosho transmission lines, and a total of 31 towers were affected in this incident.
The GM explained that the vandalized towers which suffered significant damage, with critical components removed, were discovered by TCN linesmen during a routine patrol, adding that TCN engineers from the Benin Sub-Region have initiated repairs to prevent the collapse of the affected towers and to avoid disruption of bulk power supply.
She said the incidents underscore the urgent need to combat the growing problem of vandalism and theft affecting Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
While calling on the general public to support efforts to address the crimes, which have significantly hampered the expansion and stability of the national grid, Mrs Mbah appealed to security operatives and local communities to be more vigilant in safeguarding power infrastructure in their areas.
