The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has identified vandalism of power facilities as a major cause of incessant national grid collapses across the country.

The general manager of TCN, Benin region, Charles Iwuamadi, raised the alarm during a sensitisation programme at Umelu community in Benin, Edo.

He also expressed concern over the illegal erection of structures under high-tension transmission lines and cautioned residents against encroaching on the company’s right-of-way, warning that such actions expose them to grave safety and health risks.

“Vandalism is directly proportional to the number of system collapses. A greater number of times when we have grid collapse, it is as a result of vandalism.

“In the last five years, vandalism has increased by over 30 per cent. If not for how we have been managing the system, the number of collapses would have doubled,” he said.

The TCN boss explained that transmission towers and lines were national assets that formed part of the interconnected grid, and moving power from one part of the country to another was also at risk of vandalism.

According to him, when a single line is vandalised, the entire network linked to it is destabilised, leading to nationwide outages.

On the risk of illegal buildings under power lines, Mr Iwuamadi warned that residents were endangering their lives and those of their families.

“Residing under transmission towers exposes people to high radiation, health hazards, and the danger of instant death if a line snaps and drops.

“Human beings and structures cannot withstand the impact of a 330kV line. It is not only illegal but deadly,” he cautioned.

Mr Iwuamadi noted that demolition of marked structures remained a last resort, adding that the company preferred community sensitisation over arrests and punitive measures.

“Instead of going through the route of arresting people, it is better we sensitise.

“When people are adequately informed, they will be on the same page with us,” he said.

He, however, commended the Umelu community for being one of the most peaceful along the 131-kilometre Benin–Onitsha transmission line, urging the residents to sustain their cooperation.

The sensitisation programme, he said, was part of a nationwide campaign by the TCN to reduce vandalism, protect the national grid, and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

Sharing the same sentiment, Suleiman Mohammed, deputy commandant, head of critical national assets unit, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo command, echoed the warnings.

Mr Mohammed stressed that communities had a duty to safeguard government infrastructure.

“Any presence of government facilities in your place should be protected.

“When you vandalise it, you deprive yourself. The money the government should use to bring new projects will instead be used to repair the damaged ones,” Mr Mohammed said.

The senior NSCDC officer emphasised that communities with poor records of vandalism might lose future government investments, as authorities preferred safe areas for critical projects.

Sunday Aivinhenyer, one of the residents, urged the transmission company to help the community in the upgrade of facilities, particularly the connection to the national grid.

Other members, who spoke at the gathering, urged the company to always clear the weeds on the right of way as it used to be in the past.

They also called for surveillance and monitoring of the facilities by the security agents, assuring the transmission company of the community’s continued cooperation.

(NAN)