By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

Five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi-Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line have collapsed following extensive vandalism of the facilities, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has said.

According to a statement issued by TCN on Friday in Abuja, the damage was discovered during a routine joint patrol of the transmission line by its linesmen on August 9, 2026.

The company said a preliminary assessment showed that critical structural bracing members had been removed from Towers N9, N10, N11, N12, N13 and N15, resulting in the collapse of five towers.

Further inspection revealed that structural members had also been removed and stolen from seven other towers along the transmission corridor.

TCN said the affected towers had been structurally compromised, posing a risk of further collapse and raising concerns about the reliability of electricity supply along the corridor.

To mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the company said the network had been reconfigured to prioritise power supply from Ibom Power.

The transmission company added that its management was mobilising an urgent intervention to reconstruct the affected sections of the line and restore the integrity of the transmission infrastructure.

It also said security agencies had been notified to support investigations into the vandalism and prevent further attacks along the transmission line route.

TCN condemned the incident as an act of sabotage, stressing that it remained committed to maintaining a robust and reliable national electricity grid.

The company urged stakeholders and communities along transmission corridors to support efforts to protect critical electricity infrastructure from vandalism and theft.