Bayelsa State Faces Prolonged Blackout as Vandals Destroy 13 Transmission Towers

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that Bayelsa State will experience a prolonged blackout due to the vandalism of 13 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuit transmission line. The blackout will also affect some communities in Rivers State.

According to TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, a team led by the General Manager of the Port Harcourt Transmission region, Emmanuel Akpa, discovered that all 13 towers from T52 to T64 were affected by vandalism. Nine towers have collapsed completely, while four are hanging precariously and could collapse at any moment.

The incident was first reported by the Youth President of the Ukpeli Community in Rivers State on August 12, 2024. The Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV Double Circuit Transmission line is crucial for evacuating power from the Ahoada Transmission Substation to the Yenagoa Substation, which supplies electricity to the entire Bayelsa State.

Given the extent of the destruction, it may take several months for TCN to complete the rebuilding and stringing of the towers to restore power supply to the state. TCN’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sule Abdulaziz, described the incident as a national disaster and urged the governments of Rivers and Bayelsa states to assist TCN in curbing the vandalism of its installations.

Abdulaziz noted that TCN had recently responded to the vandalism and subsequent collapse of towers T97 to T99 on the same line route on July 29, 2024, with work still ongoing to rebuild the vandalised towers. Additionally, a new contract was recently awarded for the reinforcement of towers 19-31 on the Ahoada-Yenagoa line, where tower members had been vandalised and stolen.

Despite these ongoing efforts, the recent vandalism of the 13 towers presents a significant challenge. The 13 vandalised towers are located in several communities, including Okobe in Ahoada East, Emezhi 1 in Ahoada West, and Mbiama in Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State, as well as the Igbogene community in Bayelsa State.

TCN urged the public, including security operatives, host communities, traditional rulers, state governments, and all stakeholders to assist in the fight against vandalism of power facilities.