Blackout in Bayelsa as vandals damage 132kV electricity lines

Bayelsa State has been thrown into blackout as suspected vandals tampered with two transmission towers, T98 and T99 which supply power to the state at Igbogene community in Yenagoa Local Government Area. The incident has led to the collapsed of two 132kV lines that transmit electricity to the state from Owerri in Imo State through […]

Bayelsa State has been thrown into blackout as suspected vandals tampered with two transmission towers, T98 and T99 which supply power to the state at Igbogene community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.

The incident has led to the collapsed of two 132kV lines that transmit electricity to the state from Owerri in Imo State through Ahoada in Rivers State.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State had stated that the frequency of power outage in the state was of serious concern to his administration.

Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Friday lamented that the state had again been thrown into darkness following the collapse of the two 132kV lines.

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The governor said the state government was already working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore power as quickly as possible.

Also, the Managing Director of the Bayelsa State Electricity Company Limited, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, who confirmed that the TCN officials were handling the situation, appealed for patience.

Kemenanabo, however, urged people of the state to be vigilant in order to curb the activities of vandals causing untold hardship to electricity consumers.

He also advised the public to report any suspicious activity around the towers to the security agencies just as he warned vandals to steer clear of the facility in order not to worsen the situation.

He stated that the latest incident had made it imperative for the TCN to take urgent steps to establish a work centre in Bayelsa, a call he said the state had been making since 2021.

According to him, this will enable ease of intervention and quick response when such a situation occurs.