Vandalism, rain trigger outages in Nasarawa, Plateau

Parts of Nasarawa and Plateau states have been thrown into darkness following the collapse of six transmission towers along a major power line, with vandalism and heavy rainfall blamed for the disruption.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed that the affected towers, located on the Apir–Lafia 330kV transmission corridor, were vandalised before eventually collapsing during a downpour in the early hours of May 30, 2026.

According to TCN, the incident affected towers T125 to T130 on both Transmission Lines I and II, causing a complete outage on the route. The company said the towers fell around 1:15 a.m., and an attempt to restore power through a trial reclosure of Line II shortly after the initial trip was unsuccessful.

A subsequent inspection of the lines confirmed significant damage to critical components of the affected towers, pointing to acts of vandalism.

TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stated that both transmission lines would remain out of service until the damaged towers are reconstructed. She added that engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the situation and determine the materials required for repairs.

To cushion the impact on consumers, TCN said the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is currently being supplied through the Lafia–Jos transmission line as a temporary measure. This, it noted, is aimed at maintaining partial electricity supply to customers served by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).

The company condemned the persistent vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such actions undermine investments in the electricity sector and disrupt service delivery.

It also urged residents and host communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office, stressing the need for collective efforts to safeguard national grid assets.