Despite the efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to achieve nationwide electrification and boost economic development, the nefarious activities of vandals are sabotaging progress, plunging the masses into darkness. The deliberate destruction of power infrastructure, including transmission lines, substations, and distribution equipment, is hindering the country’s ability to provide reliable electricity to its citizens and undermining the government’s initiatives to drive growth and prosperity.

According to a report by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), vandals have been attacking power transmission towers and substations across the country, causing significant damage and disrupting electricity supply. In the past few weeks, no fewer than 20 towers have been pulled down by vandals, with some towers being attacked multiple times.

The TCN has reported numerous incidents of vandalism, with the most recent incident occurring on August 11, when vandals attacked towers T377, T378, and T379 along the Gombe-Damaturu 330kV transmission line. Two of the perpetrators of the attack were killed by hunters at the Damaturu end of the line.

The TCN has also reported incidents of vandalism in the Benin Region, with towers T449 and T72 being attacked on July 19 and July 25, respectively. Additionally, transmission lines in the North East have suffered multiple vandalism attacks, with some towers being attacked multiple times.

The Federal Government has reiterated the need for collective action against vandals of power installations, appealing to citizens to support efforts to safeguard power infrastructure. However, some Nigerians have expressed skepticism about the ability of security agents to effectively prevent and investigate cases of vandalism.

The TCN boss, Sule Abdulaziz, has appealed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Victor Nwokolo, to support efforts against vandalism, highlighting that several TCN towers have been vandalized since June, despite the company’s collaboration with security agencies to protect its transmission infrastructure.

The power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, has blamed cartels and saboteurs for the attacks on power infrastructure, stating that they are importers of power generators who do not want the power sector to succeed. Adelabu has also received threat calls and has stated that he will not be intimidated.

The deliberate destruction of power infrastructure by vandals is a significant threat to Nigeria’s efforts to achieve nationwide electrification and economic development. The government, security agencies, and citizens need to work together to protect power installations and prevent these criminal activities. The fight against vandalism requires collective action, and only through cooperation and determination can Nigeria overcome this challenge and achieve a stable power network.