2 arrested over vandalism of PHCN tower

Ayodele Adesanmi, Abuja - 27.03.2008

Luck ran out of on two suspected vandals who were caught by members of a community in the South West of the country.

In less than two months, the vandals had attacked electricity transmission that served most parts of South West in Ijebu Ode area of Ogun State, bringining the total number of such to three.

The Minister of State for Energy (Power), Mrs. Balaraba Ibrahim, who said this in Abuja on Tuesday evening, said the incident meant that most parts of Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Osun Oyo and Ekiti states would remain without electricity for at least the next four weeks before the tower was re-erected, adding that the price of N1million awaited those that helped arrest the suspected vandals.

The minister, at a press briefing said, the last two vandalism of the transmission lines cost the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) N18 million to fix after four weeks adding that any person or group found around any TCN facility between the 8.00p.m and 7.00a.m should be arrested and handed over to the police.

According to her, "this incident is worrisome because the nature and proximity of both incidents clearly suggests sabotage, as the 330kv Tower No.395, off Oko baba near Abeakuta and 330Kv Tower No. 507 close to Temperance Farms, Ota, were both vandalised in the same manner on the 17th and 27th February 2008 respectively

"Today, we are faced with yet another sabotage. This time, the vandals struck at about 1:30am today, Tuesday, 25th March 2008 and axe-sawed the 330kv transmission tower No 487 near Oke Osa Community in Ajibode area, between Ota and Ifo in Ogun State," she said.

She added that luck ran out on two of the vandals as the tower came down on one of them and was trapped.