The Transmission Company of Nigeria has arrested suspects caught vandalising its facilities along the Nkalagu–Abakaliki 132kV single circuit transmission line in Ebonyi State.
Its General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, in a statement on Wednesday, stated that preliminary investigations at the scene established that structural tower members valued at billions of naira were removed and sold to illicit scrap metal dealers.
TCN said the suspects are indigenes of the Ezza Umuhuali Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, and they were apprehended by local youths and members of a vigilante group acting on a tip-off on May 9, 2026.
Further investigations revealed that the criminal activity had been ongoing from January 2026 until the suspects’ apprehension.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police Force at Ishielu Police Station in Ntezi and have since been formally charged before the Ebonyi State High Court. While the two principal suspects are currently in custody, investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend remaining accomplices believed to still be at large.
TCN strongly condemned this act of economic sabotage, which it said constitutes a grievous assault on national infrastructure and undermines the stability of electricity supply to Ebonyi State and surrounding communities.
The company commended the vigilance and swift action of the Ezza Umuhuali youths and vigilante group in bringing the suspects to justice, and urged host communities across the country to remain alert and promptly report any suspicious activity around high-voltage transmission installations.
