In another devastating blow to Nigeria’s power infrastructure, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported the destruction of two crucial transmission towers, T193 and T194, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330 Kilo Volt (KV) Single Circuit transmission lines. This incident, the latest in a series of targeted attacks, occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, detailed the situation in a statement released from Abuja. According to Mbah, the destruction coincided with the tripping of a 150 Mega Volt Ampere power transformer at the Molai Substation. The timing suggests a coordinated act of vandalism, significantly disrupting the bulk power supply to Maiduguri from the Damaturu Transmission Substation.
Following the initial tripping of the line, TCN engineers made several attempts to restore power by closing the Mulai-Damaturu line, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Early the next morning, TCN engineers, accompanied by security personnel, conducted a patrol and discovered that towers 193 and 194 had been brought down using explosive devices, with fragments of these devices scattered around the site.
This recent attack is not an isolated event. Mbah recalled a similar incident on December 28, 2023, when towers T193, T194, and T195 were destroyed using improvised explosives. The towers targeted in Tuesday’s attack were among those previously rebuilt after the December vandalism.
Currently, TCN is assessing the damage to determine the best approach for temporarily restoring power to the affected areas while a contractor is mobilized to reconstruct the destroyed towers. Mbah emphasized TCN’s commitment to protecting its infrastructure and called on the government and citizens to join in safeguarding these critical national assets.
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