NDPHC raises alarm as vandals destroy 6 transmission towers, kill contractor in Rivers State
Oredola Adeola
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited has revealed that several power infrastructures including transmission towers and lines, some of which are being assembled and installed in River State have been attacked, resulting in the death of a contractor, while others were maimed by attackers.
This was revealed in a statement released by Adesanya Adejokun, Media Adviser on Monday and obtained by EnergyDay.
According to the NDPHC’s statement, the unrelenting attacks on power infrastructure by economic saboteurs is responsible for the inability of Nigerians to access adequate electricity for economic growth and prosperity.
Giving the account of recent incidents, Adesanya said, “On September 3, 2022, some miscreants attacked and vandalized the 330kV DC Afam – Onne Transmission Line in Gbake community of Ogoniland, River State. The vandals cut down four Transmission Towers (T19, T20, T21, and T22), dismantled and carted them away.
“On October 10, 2022, the vandals attacked and vandalized two additional towers on the same 330kV DC Afam – Onne Transmission Line. During a third attempt luck, however, ran out on them as efforts of vigilante members, buoyed by security operatives paid off, resulting in the arrest of nine of the miscreants. They have since been charged to court to face the full wrath of the law.
“During a routine patrol on the night of November 25, 2022, vigilantes again encountered vandals along the same Afam-Onne 330kV DC Transmission Line. The vigilantes called for military reinforcement but before help came, one of the guards was shot and later died.
“Incidentally, this line connecting Afam to Onne in Port Harcourt is the first 330kV Double Circuit Transmission supply line to the capital of Rivers State.
“The persistent attacks on the line have caused substantial damage to the transmission line project and it will take huge sums of money to effect needed reconstruction and repairs in addition to resultant delays in delivery time,” Adesanya said.
Nkechi Mba, Executive Director, of Corporate Services at NDPHC, on her part, commiserated with the deceased immediate and extended families, promising that the company will support them in this moment of grief.
She said, “The company is grateful for his gallantry in the line of duty and we hereby pledge support for his family in this moment of great sorrow.”
The ED Corporate Services further vowed that NDPHC will be relentless in hunting the vandals down, particularly those who assassinated the contractor.
According to her, the necessity of reinforcing the message of communal ownership of critical infrastructure cannot be over-emphasized. She noted that the infrastructure that governments develop is done with taxpayers’ money, adding that they are therefore owned by the citizens.
She also appealed to members of the public to regard public infrastructure as a commonwealth that should be jointly protected.
Mba commended the law enforcement agents for their continuous support in trying to engage and deter economic criminals from vandalizing NDPHC assets, she however vowed that anyone caught vandalizing power assets will be made to face severe legal sanctions.
