Terrorists Cause Widespread Blackout in Borno, Bomb TCN Tower

Terrorists bomb TCN transmission towers again, causing power outage in Maiduguri

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported that two of its transmission towers, T193 and T194, located along the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330 KV Single Circuit transmission lines, have been bombed again by terrorists. This incident marks a repeat attack on the same infrastructure.

According to Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, the incident occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The 150 Mega Volt Ampere power transformer at Molai Substation tripped, coinciding with the tripping of the 330kV transmission line that supplies bulk power to Maiduguri from Damaturu Transmission Substation. This coordinated disruption has resulted in a significant power outage affecting the region.

“After the line tripping, efforts were made by TCN engineers to close the Mulai - Damaturu line to enable bulk transmission of electricity, which failed repeatedly.

“Early today, TCN lines engineers along with security operatives patrolled the line and discovered that towers 193 and 194 along the 330kV transmission line were brought down using an explosive device, whose fragments are scattered at the site of the incident. The area affected by this incident is Maiduguri and its environs,” she said.

Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, recalled a similar incident on December 28, 2023, where three transmission towers (T193, T194, and T195) were damaged using improvised explosives. Interestingly, two of the same towers were targeted again in the recent vandalism attack on Tuesday, which has caused significant disruption to the power supply.

TCN is currently conducting a thorough assessment of the situation to determine the most effective solution for temporary power restoration. This assessment will inform the deployment of a contractor to rebuild the two damaged transmission towers and ensure a swift and reliable restoration of power supply to the affected areas. Meanwhile, TCN is exploring alternative solutions to minimize the impact of the outage on residents and businesses.

“We will continue to do everything possible with the assistance of security operatives to protect our transmission towers. We are also calling upon the government and well-meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against the destruction of our collective national assets,” she said.