The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced on Thursday that its tower T195 along the Ugwuaji–Makurdi 330 Kilovolt (kV) transmission line was vandalized on Saturday.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager for Public Affairs, explained that the incident occurred at Watuolo village, Utonkon, in the Ado Local Government Area of Benue.
However, Mbah noted that the vandalism was thwarted thanks to the vigilance of local community members. Around 3 a.m., they spotted suspicious activity near the tower. The community quickly apprehended one of the suspected vandals, while the others managed to flee, and handed the individual over to the police.
“TCN commends the people of Watuolo village for their swift action and vigilance.
“We equally appeal to communities hosting critical infrastructure to emulate this example and take ownership of protecting transmission installations in their vicinity.
“As we continue to work with security operatives and host communities against vandalism, we appeal for more vigilance by residents in the communities, who we believe are very critical in this fight,” she said.
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