The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says the Federal Government has spent about N8.8 billion to repair vandalised transmission towers across the country.
The TCN Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, disclosed this at the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
Abdulaziz, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser on Strategic Communication and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji, said 128 transmission towers had been destroyed either by vandals or bandits across the country between January 13 and now.
Abdulaziz, who was represented at the event by the Executive Director of Transmission Service Provider, Olugbenga Ajiboye, said when the vandals were apprehended and handed over to the police for prosecution, they were bailed and continued with the vandalism.
He said: “As I talk to you today (Tuesday), 128 of our transmission towers have been vandalised by either vandals or bandits. We have spent about N8.8 billion, by our estimation, to put them back to full and functional use.
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“It is so sad that each time the vandals were caught and taken to police for prosecution, police would charge them for theft, instead of vandalism and they will be bailed.
“If they are charged for vandalism, they cannot be bailed, but this is where we are. So, many of them have been arrested, but each time they will be bailed because police often charge their cases as that of theft.”
Abdulaziz stated that when the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna towers were destroyed, TCN had to get full military escorts for contractors to get the transmission lines and towers restored.
He noted that in some cases, they would say that TCN could only work for two hours some days.
He added: “In some instances, they would even tell us that it was not safe to move there. How do we get out of this? How can we deliver electricity to Nigerians under these terrible circumstances?
“These are part of the challenges we are facing in the power sector.”
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