The Transmission Company of Nigeria says its linesmen found the body of a suspected vandal trapped under a collapsed 330kV transmission tower in Delta on Saturday.
In a statement issued in Abuja, TCN said the incident occurred on the Ughelli-Benin transmission line and was discovered during a patrol by the Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department.
According to the company, the patrol was prompted by a tripping caused by an earth fault on the line.
The team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. The corpse of the suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members.
“Further inspection revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli – Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised. The tower is still standing as at the time of this report,” TCN said.
The company condemned the act and urged host communities and the public to remain vigilant.
It called on residents to report any suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies and the nearest TCN office.
“The fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure is one that must be inclusive. All hands must be on deck for this fight to be won,” the statement said.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the extreme dangers of tampering with power infrastructure. Vandalism not only leads to power outages and damage to national assets, it also endangers lives.
“Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility. Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all.”
