Bayelsa faces prolonged blackout as vandals destroy 13 transmission towers

One of the vandalised towers [Credit: X | #TCN_NIGERIA]

The Transmission Company of Nigeria has disclosed that Bayelsa State would experience a long duration of blackout due to the recent vandalism of 13 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuit transmission line.

The blackout will also affect some communities in Rivers State.

A team led by the General Manager of the Port Harcourt Transmission region, Emmanuel Akpa, to the site, discovered that all 13 towers from T52 to T64 were affected by vandalism.

Of these, nine towers have collapsed completely, while four are hanging precariously and could collapse at any moment, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah.

[Credit: X | #TCN_NIGERIA]

The statement noted that the incident was first reported by the Youth President of the Ukpeli Community in Rivers State on August 12, 2024.

The statement noted that the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuit Transmission line is “crucial for evacuating power from the Ahoada Transmission Substation to the Yenagoa Substation, which supplies electricity to the entire Bayelsa State.

“Given the extent of the destruction to the towers and the ongoing work on previously vandalised transmission towers, it may take several months for TCN to complete the rebuilding and stringing of the towers to restore power supply to the state.”

[Credit: X | #TCN_NIGERIA]

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, described the incident “as a national disaster” as he urged the governments of Rivers and Bayelsa states to assist TCN to curb the vandalism of its installations which has been “increasingly alarming and overwhelming.”

Abdulaziz noted that TCN had “recently responded to the vandalism and subsequent collapse of towers T97 to T99 on the same line route on July 29, 2024, with work still ongoing to rebuild the vandalised towers.

“Additionally, a new contract was recently awarded for the reinforcement of towers 19-31 on the Ahoada-Yenagoa line, where tower members had been vandalised and stolen,” adding that “despite these ongoing efforts, the recent vandalism of the 13 towers presents a significant challenge.”

According to the statement, the 13 vandalised towers are located in several communities, including Okobe in Ahoada East, Emezhi 1 in Ahoada West, and Mbiama in Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State, as well as the Igbogene community in Bayelsa State.

TCN urged the public, including security operatives, host communities, traditional rulers, state governments, and all stakeholders to assist in the fight against vandalism of power facilities.