‘My office in darkness’: Minister decries vandalism of transmission lines

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has decried the incessant vandalism of critical power transmission equipment in the country.

Adelabu made this known at the official inauguration of a 100MVA Power Transformer at the 132/33kv Transmission Substation in the Isolo area Lagos State on Friday, January 17, 2025.

The minister said the issue of vandalism being experienced in all the transformer networks across the country was disturbing.

He said: “It can be depressing when we have just completed a transformer installation and few weeks after, they are brought down by vandals.

“This shows that we don’t love ourselves, these does not happen in many other parts of the world.

“A lot of places are in darkness today (Friday) because of these acts of vandalism.

“For four months, Bayelsa State was in darkness because of local vandalism.”

Adelabu stated that he had just received a message that vandals had destroyed the Kapanke Area 132 KVA line 1 and 2, which are underground cables, overnight.

Adelabu added: “This act has thrown the Central Area in Abuja, Maitama which includes my own office in Garki Area into darkness.

Blackout in Abuja areas as vandals remove TCN cables

“Why do we hate this our country so much for us to engage in this kind of negative activity which does nothing but draw the country backwards.

“As we are struggling to stabilise energy power transmission in the country, some people are hiding somewhere to frustrate this effort and draw the country backwards.”

The minister urged all stakeholders, from government agencies to private sector partners and local communities, to work collaboratively to ensure the sustainability and security of the nation’s power equipment.

He, however, commended the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for its diligence and dedication in completing the project.

The minister said: “I am happy we are commissioning this today (Friday) because of the positive impact it will have on our energy access and reliability.

“Beyond enhancing electricity supply, this project has broader implications for our economy through direct impact on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

“It will also reduce operational challenges caused by power shortages, foster economic growth and create job opportunities for Nigerians.

“This is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda which recognises that energy is not merely a commodity; it is the backbone of economic growth and job creation.”

On his part, the Managing Director of TCN, Dr Sule Abdulaziz, said the newly-installed transformer would increase TCN’s capacity to transmit more bulk electricity through substations to distribution companies for their customers.

The Star