Community vigilante foils attempt to vandalise Benin–Onitsha transmission tower, TCN commends group

By Onu Okorie

Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN has praised the Omelu Community Vigilante for a swift response that led to the arrest of a man allegedly caught trying to vandalise one of its transmission towers along the Benin–Onitsha 330kV line.

According to TCN, the incident happened at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026, when vigilante members on routine patrol spotted a suspicious individual near one of the towers. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Humphry Anala, an Auchi, Edo State indigene residing in Benin City, was allegedly caught loosening bracing at the base of the tower before being apprehended.

After his arrest, Anala was handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC for further investigation. He remains in the Corps’ custody and is expected to appear in court once investigations are completed.

TCN said preliminary findings suggest this was not Anala’s first alleged offence. The company said the same community had apprehended him roughly two months earlier on a similar allegation, but he was released after seeking leniency following medical treatment — only to allegedly be caught again in a repeat incident.

TCN commended the Omelu Community Vigilante for its sustained commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and thanked the NSCDC for its continued collaboration in safeguarding transmission assets.

The company reiterated its strong condemnation of vandalism and sabotage targeting power transmission infrastructure, and called on host communities and the public to remain alert and promptly report suspicious activity around transmission towers, substations and other installations to the nearest security agency or TCN office.