TCN says seven more towers have been weakened after critical structural members were removed, putting the transmission corridor at risk….
Five electricity transmission towers have collapsed in Akwa Ibom State after suspected vandals removed critical structural components from the facilities, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said.
The affected structures are located along the Ikot Abasi-Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line, a key corridor serving the area.
TCN said the damage was discovered on August 9, 2026, when its linesmen carried out a routine joint patrol of the transmission route.
According to the company, an initial inspection found that essential bracing members had been deliberately removed from Towers N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12.
The removal of the structural components eventually caused all five towers to collapse.
But the extent of the damage was not limited to the fallen towers.
Further inspection by TCN revealed that structural members had also been removed from seven other towers along the same corridor. The affected structures are Towers J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19.
TCN said the seven towers had been left structurally weakened and could collapse if urgent measures were not taken.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the security of critical electricity infrastructure and the reliability of power transmission in the affected part of Akwa Ibom.
Ibom Power left without supply
TCN said it had already taken steps to minimise the effect of the damage on electricity consumers in the area.
The company explained that it reconfigured the transmission network to prioritise electricity supply to the Ekim Transmission Station.
As a result of the emergency arrangement, Ibom Power became the only station left without supply.
TCN said the temporary network configuration was intended to reduce the immediate impact of the damaged transmission line while repairs are being organised.
Reconstruction begins as security agencies investigate
The transmission company said management was mobilising an urgent intervention to rebuild the damaged sections of the line.
It also confirmed that security agencies had been informed of the incident and would assist with investigations as well as efforts to prevent further vandalism along the transmission corridor.
The latest attack adds to a growing list of incidents involving the destruction and theft of transmission infrastructure across Nigeria.
Transmission towers depend on multiple structural members to remain stable, meaning the removal of seemingly individual components can weaken an entire structure and potentially cause its collapse.
TCN has repeatedly warned that such attacks pose a serious threat to the stability of the national electricity grid and can leave communities, businesses and industrial facilities without power.
Condemning the Akwa Ibom incident, the company described the destruction as an act of sabotage and said it remained committed to strengthening the reliability of the national grid.
“We condemn this act of sabotage and reiterate our commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid,” TCN said.
Fresh vandalism raises grid security concerns
The incident comes shortly after TCN announced the arrest of a principal suspect allegedly linked to the vandalism of six transmission towers along the Yola-Jalingo 330kV Transmission Line.
Some of the stolen tower components were reportedly recovered following the arrest, as security agencies intensified efforts to identify and dismantle those involved in the attacks.
The repeated targeting of transmission infrastructure highlights one of the major challenges facing Nigeria’s electricity sector: maintaining and protecting the network needed to move available power from generating stations to distribution networks.
For TCN, restoring the damaged Akwa Ibom towers is now an urgent priority, but preventing another attack along the same corridor will be equally critical if the transmission network is to remain secure and dependable.
