Power outage as vandals strike in Abuja again, remove 132kV underground cables

The incident, which occurred around the Millennium Park axis, resulted in the removal of vital 132kV underground cables, causing a widespread power outage in the nation’s capital.

In a statement released on Friday by Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs, TCN, the company confirmed that the vandalised cables are essential for transporting bulk electricity to the 132kV Central Area Transmission Substation.

The substation distributes power through eight feeders to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), which in turn supplies electricity to its customers in Central Area and surrounding environs.

According to the statement, the vandals carted away 40 meters of 1x500mm² XLPE conductors from two 132kV transmission lines. The act has disrupted over 60% of the power supply to Abuja, affecting key areas, including Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and parts of the Presidential Villa.

TCN engineers have been promptly mobilized to the site to assess the damage and commence repairs on the vandalised cables. The company assured the public that efforts are underway to restore power to the affected areas as quickly as possible.

TCN also urged Nigerians to play an active role in safeguarding the nation’s critical power infrastructure.

“We enjoin Nigerians to be vigilant in observing and reporting suspicious activities to security operatives. We must work together to protect our transmission equipment and installations. This is very crucial to the development of the nation’s power sector,” the statement read.

This latest attack highlights the urgent need for collaboration between security agencies, communities, and power sector stakeholders to ensure the protection of infrastructure critical to national development. TCN has reiterated its commitment to restoring services while urging the public to support efforts aimed at preventing future occurrences.

As of the time of this report, TCN is yet to provide an estimated timeline for the restoration of power to the affected areas.

Nigeria’s power sector faced severe challenges in 2024, including 12 national grid collapses and the destruction of 128 transmission towers. These events exposed the fragile state of the nation’s energy infrastructure and highlighted the pressing need for improved security and strategic investment.

To address these challenges, the Federal Government allocated N12,420,122,743 in the proposed 2025 budget for the insurance of sensitive assets. This allocation aims to mitigate losses and ensure quicker recovery from future incidents of vandalism or sabotage.