The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says a principal suspect has been arrested over the vandalism of six transmission towers along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line, while part of the stolen tower components has been recovered.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TCN identified the affected towers as T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004.
The company said the vandalism was discovered on July 29, 2026, during a routine patrol by its engineers, who found that vandals had removed critical bracing members from the towers and taken away about 130 pieces of tower components.
TCN described the damage as a serious structural threat to the affected installations.
Following the discovery, the company said it immediately collaborated with security agencies to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.
According to TCN, officials conducted a joint raid with the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 2026, within the affected host community, where they met with the village head and youth leaders and sought their cooperation in identifying the perpetrators.
The company said the investigation recorded a breakthrough on August 1, 2026, when the police informed TCN that a principal suspect connected to the vandalism had been apprehended and some of the stolen materials recovered.
TCN officials later visited the recovery site to verify the recovered components and called for the suspect to be fully prosecuted.
The company added that the police have obtained useful leads from the suspect and are continuing efforts to track down other members of the criminal syndicate.
TCN condemned the repeated vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such acts undermine years of investment in the electricity sector and threaten the stability of power supply.
It appealed to host communities and the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office, stressing that protecting national grid assets requires collective action.
