Vandalism of Electricity Towers Costs Nigeria N8 Billion Monthly

From January to August 2026, at least 20 electricity towers in Nigeria have been vandalized, resulting in the arrest of four suspects and one death. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) reported that the electricity market is losing N8 billion monthly due to transmission losses, significantly impacted by vandalism.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) stated that ongoing vandalism forces it to divert funds meant for critical grid development to repair existing towers. The latest incident involved the collapse of a transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State on August 8, 2026, where a suspected vandal was found deceased.

On August 2, 2026, community vigilantes arrested Mr. Humphry Anala, a 34-year-old suspect attempting to vandalize a tower along the Benin–Onitsha 330kV Transmission Line. Additionally, on July 29, a suspect was arrested for vandalizing six towers along the Yola–Jalingo 330kV transmission line, and other incidents of vandalism were reported throughout May and July.