The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says its Enugu Region has carried out a community sensitisation campaign in Ebonyi State to address rising incidents of vandalism and erection of illegal structures on its Right of Way (RoW).
Campaign details and key areas of concern
Ndidi Mbah, general manager of public affairs at TCN, said in a statement on Saturday that the campaign took place at Umuhuali, Ezillo, and Nkalagu communities in Ebonyi. The sensitisation also included the dangers of excavating soil near transmission tower bases.
According to Thomas Inugonum, General Manager (Transmission) for the Enugu Region, the initiative seeks to foster stronger relationships with communities hosting TCN infrastructure. He outlined five critical areas requiring immediate community intervention: the dangers of vandalising 330kV and 132kV high-voltage power lines; illegal erection of structures within TCN’s RoW; excavation of soil around transmission tower bases; the risks of trading, farming, or residing directly under 330kV/132kV towers; and the practice of burning waste materials beneath transmission lines.
Previous successes and tragic incidents
Mr Inugonum noted that similar sensitisation campaigns in Makurdi, Benue State, and Agbogugu and Ihe communities in Enugu State yielded positive outcomes. He expressed confidence that Ebonyi would record similar success. He recalled a tragic incident in Ezillo, Ebonyi, where an unidentified vandal was electrocuted while attempting to vandalise tower 34 on the Nkalagu-Abakaliki 132kV transmission line.
Mr Inugonum also disclosed that on 9 May, the vigilance of local youths and security personnel in Ezza Umuhuali led to the arrest of two vandals who dismantled vital components from Towers T15, T16, and T17 along the Nkalagu-Abakaliki 132kV Single Circuit line. “Transmission tower components worth millions of naira are vandalised and sold to illicit scrap dealers for a fraction of their value,” he said.
Call for community collaboration
Mr Inugonum urged sustained community participation, grassroots surveillance, and closer collaboration with security agencies to curb the illegal resale of stolen power components. He also charged residents to promptly report suspicious activities around TCN installations to security agencies or through the company’s dedicated hotlines.
During the campaign, Mr Inugonum and his management team paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Umuhuali Autonomous Community, Patrick Udoku. Receiving the delegation alongside his cabinet, Mr Udoku pledged his domain’s total commitment to safeguarding power installations and preventing encroachment on TCN’s RoW.
Community leaders speak out
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Solomon Nweke, president general of Ezza Umuhuali Town Union, attributed the recent arrest of suspects to the alertness of local vigilantes and community leaders. Mr Nweke described attacks on power infrastructure as “a direct assault on the national economy that endangers lives and property.” He urged TCN to sustain its engagement with host communities and strengthen support for local surveillance initiatives.
Participants from the various communities pledged their full collaboration to TCN and security agencies to safeguard transmission facilities serving their localities and the nation at large.
