The Transmission Company of Nigeria has said that two towers along its 330kV Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines have been vandalised, causing damage to sections of both lines.

This has resulted in blackouts in some areas of Kano and Kaduna states.

The commission said it received a report of the damage from its Shiroro Regional office on Friday.

In a statement signed by the Company’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the commission said arrangements were in top gear to deploy a newly procured “emergency restoration system” to the site, pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.

According to TCN, the 330kV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second, as efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line, prompting the urgent mobilisation of local vigilantes to patrol the lines.

The statement partly read, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria announces that two towers along its 330kV Shiroro–Kaduna transmission lines one and two have been vandalised, damaging parts of both transmission lines.

“According to reports from the Shiroro Regional office of TCN, the 330kV transmission line one tripped first, followed shortly by the second, as efforts were still ongoing to reclose the first line, prompting the urgent mobilization of local vigilantes to patrol the lines.”

It added that the development led to the discovery of two damaged towers, towers T133 and T 136, with their cables badly damaged at several points.

“TCN has also conducted an aerial survey in collaboration with security operatives, given the area’s vulnerability to banditry, which poses a significant threat to both TCN installations and personnel,” it noted.

PUNCH