Vandal Crushed to Death Under Collapsed 330kV Transmission Tower in Delta

Oru Leonard 

A suspected vandal has been crushed to death after a vandalised 330kV transmission tower collapsed along the Ughelli–Benin transmission line in Delta State.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed this in a statement signed by its management on Saturday, August 8, 2026, saying the incident was discovered during an intensive patrol of the transmission line.

According to TCN, the patrol was conducted by its Delta Sub-Region, Lines Maintenance Department (LMD), following the tripping of the Ughelli–Benin 330kV transmission line on earth fault.

The patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. Upon inspection, the body of the suspected vandal was discovered crushed between the collapsed tower members.

TCN said further inspection revealed that Tower 101 on the adjacent Ughelli–Sapele 330kV transmission line had also been seriously vandalised, although the tower was still standing at the time of the report.

The power transmission company condemned the continued vandalism of electricity infrastructure, warning that such acts not only disrupt electricity supply and cause damage to critical national assets but also pose serious risks to human lives.

“Protecting power infrastructure is a civic responsibility. Stop the vandals, or they will stop power for us all,” TCN stated.

The company appealed to host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission lines and other power installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.

TCN stressed that the fight against infrastructure vandalism requires the collective efforts of government agencies, security authorities, host communities and the general public.

The incident, it added, serves as a tragic reminder of the extreme dangers associated with tampering with electricity infrastructure.