Vandals Bring Down Six TCN Towers on Apir–Lafia Route, Disrupt Power Supply in Abuja, Jos Axis

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the vandalism and collapse of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission corridor, disrupting electricity supply to parts of North-Central Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs.

Ndidi Mbah, disclosed that towers T125 to T130 on the Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II were vandalised, leading to their collapse during a heavy downpour in the early hours of May 30, 2026.

According to her, the incident occurred at about 1:15 a.m., while an attempted trial reclosure of Line II at 2:08 a.m. following the initial tripping was unsuccessful.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that six transmission towers, from T125 to T130, on Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II have been vandalised. The collapse occurred at about 1:15 a.m. on May 30, 2026, during a heavy downpour,” the statement said.

TCN explained that the failure of the lines prompted engineers to carry out a physical inspection of the transmission corridor, which revealed extensive damage to critical tower components, confirming deliberate acts of vandalism.

As a result, both transmission lines remain out of service pending the reconstruction of the affected towers.

The company said its engineers have already been mobilised to the site to assess the extent of the damage and determine the materials required for immediate restoration work.

Despite the outage, TCN noted that electricity supply to the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is being sustained through the Lafia–Jos transmission line as a temporary measure to minimise the impact on customers.

The disruption, however, directly affects electricity supply within the franchise areas of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).

Condemning the recurring attacks on critical national infrastructure, TCN described the vandalism of transmission facilities as a major setback to efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s power sector.

The company warned that such acts undermine years of investment in electricity infrastructure and threaten the stability of power supply across the country.

TCN appealed to host communities, security agencies and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations.

“We appeal to host communities and the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office. Collective action is essential to protect national grid assets and ensure reliable power supply,” the statement added.

The latest incident adds to growing concerns over the security of Nigeria’s power infrastructure, with industry stakeholders repeatedly calling for stronger protection of transmission assets to safeguard electricity supply nationwide.