A suspected vandal has been crushed to death following the collapse of a vandalised 330kV transmission tower along the Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, August 8, 2026, saying the incident was discovered during an intensive patrol by its Delta Sub-Region Lines Maintenance Department.
According to the company, the patrol was launched after the Ughelli-Benin 330kV transmission line tripped on earth fault.
The patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed, where the body of the suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members.
TCN said further inspection revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli-Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised, although the tower remained standing as of the time of the report.
The transmission company condemned the vandalism, warning that tampering with power infrastructure poses serious risks to lives and threatens the stability of electricity supply.
It appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN offices.
TCN further stressed that combating the vandalism of electricity infrastructure requires collective efforts from government agencies, security personnel, host communities and the general public.
The company described the death of the suspected vandal as a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with tampering with transmission infrastructure.
It warned that vandalism does not only cause power outages and damage critical national assets but can also result in loss of lives.
“Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility,” TCN said, urged Nigerians to help stop vandals before their activities further disrupt electricity supply.
