Nigerian Air Force bombs terrorists frustrating repairs of Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line

Nigerian Air Force on Monday said it bombed terrorists trying to hinder the repair of the 330KV Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line suspected to have been vandalised by the terrorists.

The destruction of the transmission line plunged some northern states into darkness, although electricity have been restored in some parts following a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

The president instructed military operatives to guard workers deployed to repair the transmission line.

The bombing of the terrorists came a week after the deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin, said “well-armed” terrorists were occupying strategic places around the source of damaged power transmission cables. He added that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) were making efforts to strike the terrorists.

According to Punch newspaper, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Olusola Akinboyewa, said in a statement that an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions carried out by the service confirmed that terrorist fighters were converging to disrupt the repair of the transmission line.

“In a coordinated mission to support power restoration efforts in Kaduna and other northwestern states, the NAF, on November 1, 2024, executed a series of air interdiction operations targeting terrorist positions located deep within the Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State,” Mr Akinboyewa said, adding the mission “aligns with ongoing efforts to secure power infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted progress in restoring electricity to affected areas.”

The strikes, Mr Akinboyewa explained, followed a “series of ISR missions which confirmed the presence of terrorist fighters who were converging to disrupt ongoing power restoration.”

He added: “The air component, acting swiftly on this intelligence, planned and carried out a successful airstrike to neutralise the threat.

“Overhead the target area, NAF crews observed and engaged the terrorists, neutralising several fighters and their logistics with precise firepower.”

Mr Akinboyewa, an air commodore, said NAF had established air superiority in the region to deter attacks that could frustrate the power restoration efforts.

“Alongside these interdictions, the NAF has intensified armed reconnaissance along critical power lines from Shiroro Lake to Damba, maintaining airspace dominance to prevent any potential terrorist interference in the restoration efforts,” he continued. “This sustained mission underscores NAF’s commitment to collaborate with other security agencies in protecting vital infrastructure and ensuring the swift and full restoration of essential services for Kaduna and neighbouring states.”

The terror around Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Station

The 330KV Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line is directly connected to the Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Station which links to Zungeru dam. However, local stakeholders including youth fora such as the Coalition of Shiroro Associations in Niger State are demanding that the Zungeru dam be renamed as “Shiroro dam.” They argued that the host communities and the main area of the dam are marked under Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

Last week, the federal government vowed to end the blackout in five days, but PREMIUM TIMES understands that security threats and lack of access roads in the host communities of Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Station might make it impossible within the specified time frame.

A satellite image of the terror-ravaged communities surrounding the Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Station where the faulty 330KV Shiroro-Mando transmission line is located. Credit: Yakubu Mohammed/PREMIUM TIMES

Our reporter identified at least 12 communities in Niger and Kaduna states where sustained terror activities may hinder the full restoration of power. Out of the 12 communities, at least six in Niger State are a few kilometres from the Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Station and Zungeru dam. Although some areas [Birnin Gwari, Manini and Chikun] profiled in Kaduna are very far from the transmission line, terrorists based therein often invade its host communities.

The six communities in Niger — Kurebe, Iburo, Malfa, Galadima Kogo, Chukuba and Kwaki — are under the total control of terrorists. For instance, the Boko Haram terror group also known as Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and another group that operates like its rival Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have taken over Kurebe and their environs in Allawa district. Terror activities and aerial counterinsurgency operations have led to the killing of civilians in these places, including minors.

Recently, JAS extended its reign to Allawa forest from where they launched attacks on garrison towns and some nearby villages. In places like Kwaki, Chukuba, Iburo, Galamida Kogo and Malfa, bandits loyal to different kingpins including the notorious Dogo Gide have been terrorising the locals and robbing them of their farm produce.

A youth leader in Shiroro who pleaded anonymity for security reasons said bad road networks may also make it impossible to fix the destroyed transmission line. However, he said there is electricity in some parts of Shiroro.

“You can not go to those areas by car,” he said. “Except they want to use motorcycles or helicopters as they did when they were transmitting power from the tower.”

According to a Daily Trust report, the Regional General Manager, Transmission, Shiroro Region of the TCN, Maiwada Paiko, said in December 2023 that the terrorists had threatened to take over the power plant.

He also recalled how one of his staff members was kidnapped in 2022 and how three security operatives escorting his staff members to fix a problem in the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line lost their lives in an ambush.