A suspected vandal has been found crushed to death beneath a collapsed transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 8, 2026, and was discovered during an intensive line patrol conducted by TCN’s Delta Sub-Region Lines Maintenance Department (LMD).
According to a statement issued by TCN Management, the patrol followed the tripping of the Ughelli-Benin 330kV transmission line on earth fault.
The patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. The body of the suspected vandal was subsequently discovered crushed between the members of the fallen tower.
Further inspection revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised, although the structure remained standing as of the time of the report.
TCN condemned the incident and urged host communities 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 the fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure required collective action, calling on all stakeholders to play their part in protecting critical national assets.
TCN warned that tampering with transmission infrastructure poses serious risks to lives, in addition to causing power outages and damage to public assets.
“Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility,” the company said, urging the public to help stop vandals from disrupting electricity supply across the country.
