The Federal Government has disclosed that it spent over N8.8bn to repair and put into functional use 128 transmission towers that were vandalised across the country.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Suleiman Ahmed Abdulaziz, made the disclosure at the Quarterly Power Sector Working Group meeting in Abuja.

Abdulaziz, in a statement, by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, said that between January 13, 2024 and now, 128 transmission towers have been destroyed either by vandals or bandits, across the country.

He lamented that when the vandals were apprehended and handed over to police for prosecution, they were bailed and they would return and continue with the vandalism.

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“It is so sad that each time the vandals were caught and taken to police for prosecution, police would incident them for theft, instead of vandalism and they will be bailed. If they are charged for vandalism, they cannot be bailed.

“When the Shiroro-Mando-Kaduna towers were destroyed, we had to get the full military escorts for our contractors to get the transmission lines and towers restored and, in some cases, they would tell us that we could only work for two hours in some days. In some instances, they would even tell us that it was not safe to move there. How do we get out of this? How can we deliver electricity to Nigerians under these terrible circumstances? These are part of the challenges we are facing in the power sector”, Abdulaziz said.

On his part, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said that the federal government is working in collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB) to make electricity available to 50 million Nigerians by the year 2030.