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By: Abdullahi Inuwa
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has warned residents of Kebbi State against vandalising electricity transmission facilities and erecting illegal structures beneath high-tension power lines, citing the dangers such activities pose to public safety and the stability of the national grid.
The warning was issued by the Assistant General Manager of TCN in Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Mustapha Hassan Aliero, during a one-day sensitisation and public awareness campaign on Right of Way, Encroachment and Vandalism of High-Tension Installations, held in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
Aliero said the campaign was designed to educate residents on the need to protect critical national infrastructure and discourage activities that could disrupt electricity transmission across the country.
He urged members of the public to see the protection of transmission facilities as a collective responsibility, stressing that vandalism and encroachment on power line corridors could undermine electricity supply and expose communities to serious hazards.
The TCN official identified Koko and Yauri local government areas as particularly vulnerable to the vandalism of transmission facilities, noting that the company had engaged personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help safeguard its installations in the affected areas.
According to him, the company has continued to face challenges in protecting its infrastructure, with incidents affecting transmission towers and other critical equipment.
He also linked recent challenges involving the national grid to incidents in the area, explaining that TCN personnel had been deployed to carry out repairs.
Aliero further expressed concern over the condition of some transmission towers, saying strong winds could contribute to their collapse and highlighting the importance of protecting and maintaining the facilities.
He cautioned residents against constructing houses, shops and other buildings within or close to transmission line corridors, warning that such encroachment could lead to electrocution, fire outbreaks, structural collapse and other life-threatening incidents.
He added that damage to transmission infrastructure could also disrupt electricity supply, affecting households, businesses and public institutions.
The sensitisation campaign brought together electricity consumers, traditional and religious leaders, government officials, artisans, civil society organisations, youth groups and media representatives to discuss ways of preventing vandalism and promoting public safety.
Some participants who spoke to Radio Nigeria described the campaign as timely, particularly with the Harmattan season approaching, and called for stronger collaboration among TCN, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and other relevant stakeholders to improve public awareness.
They stressed the need to educate residents on their rights and responsibilities regarding electricity infrastructure, including the importance of respecting designated rights of way and reporting suspicious activities around transmission installations.
The participants also pledged their support for efforts to protect national critical assets, promising to share the information acquired during the campaign with members of their respective communities.
They maintained that sustained community engagement and cooperation with relevant authorities would help reduce vandalism, prevent avoidable accidents and improve the security of electricity transmission facilities.
The campaign forms part of broader efforts to encourage public participation in safeguarding critical infrastructure and to discourage activities that threaten the reliability and safety of Nigeria’s electricity transmission network.
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