A suspected vandal was reportedly crushed to death after a vandalised 330kV transmission tower collapsed along the Ughelli–Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 8, 2026, and was discovered during an intensive patrol by the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) Delta Sub-Region Lines Maintenance Department.
According to TCN, the patrol was launched after the Ughelli–Benin 330kV transmission line tripped following an earth fault.
The maintenance team traced the fault to Tower 101, only to discover that the structure had collapsed, with the body of an alleged vandal trapped underneath.
“Linesmen found a suspected vandal crushed to death under a collapsed vandalised transmission tower,” TCN said.
The company further disclosed that the victim was found “crushed between the tower members.”
Further inspection revealed that another transmission tower on the adjacent Ughelli–Sapele 330kV transmission line had also suffered extensive vandalism.
TCN, however, said the second tower remained standing when its officials inspected the area.
The company condemned the increasing vandalism of electricity infrastructure and urged communities hosting power facilities, as well as members of the public, to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission installations.
“The fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure is one that must be inclusive. All hands must be on deck for this fight to be won,” the company said.
TCN warned that tampering with electricity infrastructure could have deadly consequences while also causing extensive damage to critical national assets and disrupting power supply.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the extreme dangers of tampering with power infrastructure,” the company said, adding that vandalism “not only leads to power outages and damage to national assets, it also endangers lives.”
The transmission company urged Nigerians to report suspected acts of vandalism to security agencies or the nearest TCN office, stressing that protecting power infrastructure is a collective responsibility.
In a strong warning to vandals, TCN said: “Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all.”
