A suspected vandal has been crushed to death following the collapse of a 330kV transmission tower along the Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this in a statement issued by its management on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
According to the company, the incident was discovered by linesmen from the Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department, while investigating the tripping of the Ughelli-Benin 330kV transmission line following an earth fault.
TCN said its patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, where they discovered that the structure had collapsed.
The body of the suspected vandal was reportedly found trapped and crushed among the fallen tower members.
Further inspection of the area also revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had been extensively vandalised, although the structure was still standing when the inspection was conducted.
The transmission company condemned the act of vandalism, warning that tampering with electricity infrastructure poses serious risks to lives and can cause extensive damage to critical national assets.
TCN urged residents of communities hosting transmission facilities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
The company stressed that protecting electricity infrastructure requires the collective efforts of communities, security agencies and other stakeholders.
“Vandalism not only leads to power outages and damage to national assets, it also endangers lives. Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility. Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all,” TCN said.
The company added that the incident was a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with tampering with transmission infrastructure, stressing that safeguarding the facilities was crucial to maintaining electricity supply and protecting lives.
