The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a suspected vandal over the destruction of six transmission towers belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line.
The TCN disclosed on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested following a joint operation with the police after engineers discovered that six towers—T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004—had been vandalised during a routine patrol on July 29.
According to the company, the vandals removed about 130 critical tower bracing members, leaving the affected transmission infrastructure structurally compromised.
TCN said it carried out a joint raid with the police in the host community on July 30, during which traditional and youth leaders were engaged to assist in identifying those responsible for the vandalism.
The company said the police later informed it that a principal suspect had been arrested, while some of the stolen tower components had been recovered.
“The Police have obtained solid leads from the suspect in custody and remain committed to tracking down the remaining members of the syndicate. Investigations are ongoing,” the company said.
TCN said its officials had inspected the recovered materials and urged security agencies to ensure the suspect is prosecuted.
The company condemned the repeated attacks on electricity transmission infrastructure, warning that they threaten the stability of the national grid and undermine investments in the power sector.
It also appealed to members of the public to report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
