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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the successful prevention of a major act of vandalism targeting critical power infrastructure along the Mando–Jos 330kV Double Circuit transmission line in Kaduna State.

In a statement issued by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the company confirmed that a coordinated operation by security operatives and community vigilantes foiled an attempt by vandals to dismantle towers T297, T298, and T299. The incident occurred on Sunday, October 5, 2025, and led to the arrest of the suspected vandals and their alleged buyers.

According to the release, the culprits had already removed critical tower components, thereby compromising the structural stability of the power transmission towers before their arrest.

However, the transmission line itself remains intact and did not collapse, averting what could have been a serious disruption of electricity supply along the Mando–Jos corridor.

“To safeguard the integrity of the transmission infrastructure, TCN engineers have commenced emergency reinforcement works on the affected towers,” the statement said. “These efforts are aimed at restoring full stability and ensuring continued bulk power delivery along the Mando–Jos power transmission corridor.”

The company commended the swift response of the security operatives and the vigilance of the host community members whose collaboration led to the arrest.

The suspects are currently being detained by the police in Saminaka, Kaduna State, where investigations are ongoing to identify any wider network of vandals or scrap buyers involved in the act.

TCN, in the statement, reiterated its commitment to protecting the nation’s power transmission assets and ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply across Nigeria. It also called on members of the public to remain alert and support security agencies by promptly reporting any suspicious activities around power facilities.

“We urge communities across the country to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office,” the company advised.

Acts of vandalism against power infrastructure have remained a major challenge to Nigeria’s electricity supply chain, often leading to outages, huge financial losses, and operational risks.

TCN emphasized that it will continue to strengthen collaboration with law enforcement agencies and local communities to safeguard the national grid infrastructure.