metro
Vandalism cause of incessant grid collapses – TCN
Vandalism cause of incessant grid collapses – TCN
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has identified vandalism of power facilities as a major cause of incessant national grid collapses across the country.
The general manager of TCN, Benin region, Charles Iwuamadi, raised the alarm during a sensitisation programme at Umelu community in Benin, Edo.
He also expressed concern over the illegal erection of structures under high-tension transmission lines and cautioned residents against encroaching on the company’s right-of-way, warning that such actions expose them to grave safety and health risks.
“Vandalism is directly proportional to the number of system collapses. A greater number of times when we have grid collapse, it is as a result of vandalism.
“In the last five years, vandalism has increased by over 30 per cent. If not for how we have been managing the system, the number of collapses would have doubled,” he said.
The TCN boss explained that transmission towers and lines were national assets that formed part of the interconnected grid, and moving power from one part of the country to another was also at risk of vandalism.
According to him, when a single line is vandalised, the entire network linked to it is destabilised, leading to nationwide outages.
On the risk of illegal buildings under power lines, Mr Iwuamadi warned that residents were endangering their lives and those of their families.
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“Residing under transmission towers exposes people to high radiation, health hazards, and the danger of instant death if a line snaps and drops.
“Human beings and structures cannot withstand the impact of a 330kV line. It is not only illegal but deadly,” he cautioned.
Mr Iwuamadi noted that demolition of marked structures remained a last resort, adding that the company preferred community sensitisation over arrests and punitive measures.
“Instead of going through the route of arresting people, it is better we sensitise.
“When people are adequately informed, they will be on the same page with us,” he said.
He, however, commended the Umelu community for being one of the most peaceful along the 131-kilometre Benin–Onitsha transmission line, urging the residents to sustain their cooperation.
The sensitisation programme, he said, was part of a nationwide campaign by the TCN to reduce vandalism, protect the national grid, and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.
Sharing the same sentiment, Suleiman Mohammed, deputy commandant, head of critical national assets unit, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo command, echoed the warnings.
Mr Mohammed stressed that communities had a duty to safeguard government infrastructure.
“Any presence of government facilities in your place should be protected.
“When you vandalise it, you deprive yourself. The money the government should use to bring new projects will instead be used to repair the damaged ones,” Mr Mohammed said.
The senior NSCDC officer emphasised that communities with poor records of vandalism might lose future government investments, as authorities preferred safe areas for critical projects.
Sunday Aivinhenyer, one of the residents, urged the transmission company to help the community in the upgrade of facilities, particularly the connection to the national grid.
Other members, who spoke at the gathering, urged the company to always clear the weeds on the right of way as it used to be in the past.
They also called for surveillance and monitoring of the facilities by the security agents, assuring the transmission company of the community’s continued cooperation.
Vandalism cause of incessant grid collapses – TCN
(NAN)
metro
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.
Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.
“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.
A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.
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“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.
While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.
“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.
He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.
Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid
metro
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.
The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.
Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.
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While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.
He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.
According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.
Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.
FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools
metro
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.
Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.
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According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.
The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.
Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu
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