Blackout Looms In Yobe, Borno As Vandals Destroy TCN’s Tower

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), on Sunday, announced that its tower No. T372, part of the 330KV Gombe-Damaturu-Maiduguri transmission line, has been destroyed by vandals.

The act of vandalism has resulted in a significant power outage affecting Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, and extending to Maiduguri in Borno State.

According to TCN officials, the vandals severed all four tower footings, leading to the collapse of T372. The damage was identified by TCN’s linesmen during an emergency patrol.

A statement issued in Abuja by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah on Sunday, said in response to the outage, TCN engineers were working to restore power temporarily by back-feeding Damaturu through a 33kV transmission line from Potiskum, while Maiduguri will receive electricity from the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP).

She said immediate plans are underway to dismantle the collapsed tower and begin reconstruction to restore the transmission line.

Mbah condemned the ongoing attacks on critical national infrastructure and urged citizens to remain vigilant in protecting these assets.

She encouraged the public to report any suspicious activities or individuals near transmission facilities to local law enforcement or TCN offices.

“TCN is committed to restoring bulk power to the affected regions as swiftly as possible and will prioritize the reconstruction efforts for the damaged tower”, she said.