By Okey Muogbo
A suspected vandal has been crushed to death following the collapse of a vandalised 330kV transmission tower along the Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in statement signed by it’s management on Saturday, said the victim was discovered on Saturday, August 8, 2026, by its linesmen during an intensive patrol of the transmission corridor.
According to TCN, the patrol was launched after the Ughelli-Benin 330kV transmission line tripped on earth fault.
The patrol team from the Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed.
The body of the suspected vandal was subsequently found trapped and crushed between the collapsed tower members.
Further inspection by the TCN team revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been extensively vandalised, although it remained standing as of the time of the report.
TCN condemned the incident, describing the vandalism of power infrastructure as a serious threat to national assets and public safety.
The company urged host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around electricity infrastructure to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
It stressed that the fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure requires the collective efforts of government agencies, host communities and the general public.
The company also warned that tampering with transmission infrastructure could result in loss of lives, damage to critical national assets and prolonged power outages.
TCN urged Nigerians to see the protection of power infrastructure as a civic responsibility and called for greater community vigilance to prevent further incidents.
