A suspected vandal was reportedly crushed to death after a 330kV transmission tower collapsed along the Ughelli–Benin transmission line in Delta State.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, August 8, 2026, saying the incident was discovered during a patrol by its Delta Sub-Region Lines Maintenance Department.
According to the company, the patrol was launched after the Ughelli–Benin transmission line tripped following an earth fault.
The maintenance team subsequently traced the fault to Tower 101, where they found that the transmission structure had collapsed.
TCN said its linesmen discovered the body of a suspected vandal trapped beneath the structure.
The company stated that the victim was “crushed between the tower members.”
Further checks in the area also revealed extensive vandalism of Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli–Sapele 330kV transmission line.
However, TCN said the second tower remained standing despite the damage at the time of inspection.
The company condemned the incident and urged residents of communities hosting electricity infrastructure to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around power installations.
TCN said, “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.”
It warned that interference with transmission infrastructure could result in fatalities, damage to national assets and prolonged power outages.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the extreme dangers of tampering with power infrastructure,” the company said.
TCN added that protecting electricity infrastructure was a collective responsibility and appealed to members of the public to report suspected acts of vandalism to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
The company concluded its warning with the message: “Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all.”
