PARTS of Kaduna State were thrown into darkness on Thursday following the collapse of a critical transmission tower serving the state capital.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed that Tower No. 7 along the Kaduna Town Line I and II in Rigasa community caved in after a severe downpour and windstorm.
In a statement signed by Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs sent to News Point Nigeria, the company disclosed that the collapse also bore the tell-tale signs of sabotage.
According to the utility firm, vandals had earlier carted away some vital components of the tower, weakening its structural integrity and leaving it vulnerable to collapse during extreme weather.
“Our investigation revealed that vandals removed critical tower members, which made the structure more susceptible to the effects of the heavy downpour and windstorm experienced on September 18,” the statement read.
The incident has disrupted bulk power supply to several Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) load centres, particularly affecting parts of Kaduna South. Areas including Kinkinau, Yan Tukwane, Kabala West, Unguwan Muazu and Kaduna North remain unaffected and continue to receive regular supply.
To minimize the impact of the outage, TCN said it has advised KAEDCO to link the 33kV Mogadishu feeder with the 33kV Abakwa feeder, a temporary solution meant to restore partial supply to affected customers in Mogadishu and its environs.
Engineers and field crews have already been deployed to the site of the incident to begin dismantling the collapsed tower and clearing the debris.
“Our engineers are currently at the site dismantling the collapsed tower members to enable them to clear the site and commence the re-erection of a new tower,” Mbah explained.
The company assured Kaduna residents that every effort is being made to minimize the duration of the blackout, pledging round-the-clock work until power supply is fully restored.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers in Southern Kaduna and appreciate their patience and understanding as we continue to work tirelessly to rebuild the tower,” the statement added.
The collapse highlights growing concerns over vandalism of power infrastructure, a recurring challenge that has cost Nigeria billions of naira in repairs and lost power generation.
