Fresh outage in Abuja as vandals steal electrity cables

With four days left to the end of the relocation of electricity infrastructure that led to power rationing in Abuja, the city is once again threatened with another bout of blackout as vandals steal cables supplying 60 percent of electricity to the city. 

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in a statement on Friday stated that vandals tampered with the 132kV transmission line and underground cables taking power to Central Area and environs in Abuja, causing power outage.

The statement by its General Manager on Public Affairs, Ndid Mbah, said the vandalised 132kV underground cable transports bulk electrity to TCN’s 132kV Central Area transmission substation, which then supplies power through eight number of distribution feeders to AEDC for onward supply to its customers in Central Area and environs.

“The incident, which was carried out around the Menillum Park axis of Abuja, has affected over 60% of the power supply to Abuja as the vandals carted away 40 meters of 1x500mm² XLPE conductors on the 2 numbers 132kV transmission lines.”

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Mbah stated that consequently, areas experiencing power outage include Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and parts of Presidential Villa.

She said TCN engineers had already been mobilised to the site of the incident to repair the vandalised cables.

“We enjoin Nigerians to be vigilant in oberserving 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,” she added.