Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers stormed the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s Offa 132kV Transmission Substation in Kwara State in the early hours of Thursday, taking workers hostage and forcing a shutdown of critical power feeders.
The attack, which occurred around 12:45 am, saw the heavily armed men break into the control room and hold all personnel on duty at gunpoint. They ordered the operator to open the Offa and Ojoku 33kV feeders before demanding a complete shutdown of the facility.
According to an official statement released on Saturday, the assailants tampered with control switches and relay buttons during the operation. The 40MVA transformer was eventually opened at approximately 1:07 am.
Power supply was gradually restored shortly after the incident. The 40MVA transformer came back online at 1:13 am, followed by the Offa 33kV feeder at 1:14 am, and the Ojoku 33kV feeder at 2:15 am.
In response to the incident, TCN’s Osogbo Region declared force majeure on the substation. The company expressed regret over the disruption and reaffirmed its commitment to reliable electricity transmission across the country.
Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the attack.
