Nigeria's TCN sensitizes Ebonyi communities on protecting power installations amid rising vandalism

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has launched a community sensitization campaign in Ebonyi State to address the escalating problem of vandalism targeting its power installations. The Enugu Region of TCN carried out the campaign in Umuhuali, Ezillo, and Nkalagu communities, aiming to foster better relationships and secure critical energy infrastructure.

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The initiative seeks to foster stronger relationships with communities hosting TCN infrastructure.

Thomas Inugonum, General Manager (Transmission) for the Enugu Region, outlined key areas where community intervention is vital. These include the severe dangers associated with vandalizing 330kV and 132kV high-voltage power lines, the risks of erecting illegal structures within TCN's Right of Way (RoW), and the hazards of excavating soil near transmission tower bases. He also stressed the dangers of trading, farming, or living directly beneath these towers, as well as burning waste materials nearby.

Inugonum pointed to previous successful campaigns in Makurdi and Enugu states as evidence of the initiative's effectiveness. He also recounted a tragic incident in Ezillo where an unidentified vandal was electrocuted while attempting to sabotage a tower. More recently, in Ezza Umuhuali, local youths and security personnel arrested two individuals attempting to dismantle tower components, preventing significant damage to the Nkalagu-Abakaliki 132kV transmission line.

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Transmission tower components worth millions of naira are vandalised and sold to illicit scrap dealers for a fraction of their value.

"Transmission tower components worth millions of naira are vandalised and sold to illicit scrap dealers for a fraction of their value," Inugonum stated, emphasizing the economic loss. He urged sustained community participation, grassroots surveillance, and collaboration with security agencies to curb the illegal trade of stolen power components. Residents were encouraged to report suspicious activities promptly.

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Similar sensitisation campaigns in Makurdi, Benue State, and Agbogugu and Ihe communities in Enugu State yielded positive outcomes, expressing confidence that Ebonyi would record similar success.

During the campaign, TCN officials visited the traditional ruler of Umuhuali Autonomous Community, Patrick Udoku, who pledged his community's full commitment to protecting power installations. Solomon Nweke, president general of Ezza Umuhuali Town Union, attributed recent arrests to the alertness of local vigilantes and leaders, describing attacks on power infrastructure as "a direct assault on the national economy that endangers lives and property."

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Pledged his domain’s total commitment to safeguarding power installations and preventing encroachment on TCN’s RoW.