The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for the formation of “power rangers” to safeguard Nigeria’s power infrastructure. This move he claims is aimed at addressing the rampant vandalism of transmission towers, which the minister described as “economic terrorism.”
On Wednesday, two transmission towers, T193 and T194, were destroyed by vandals along the 330-kilovolt single-circuit transmission line. In a similar incident on December 28, 2023, vandals used improvised explosive devices to destroy three towers, T193, T194, and T195, in Borno State.
Speaking at the Passing Out Parade and inauguration of the second batch of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals in Abuja on Friday, Tunji-Ojo emphasized the urgent need to tackle this issue. “The rate of vandalism, of economic terrorism going on with our transmission lines, has to be looked into,” he stated. “It is your job to make sure that no critical asset of government is destroyed and we are ready and I believe NSCDC is up to the task.”
He urged the NSCDC Commandant General to establish a specialized squad dedicated to combating power vandals. “The next time I come here, I want to see my Power Rangers, I mean people that will protect our distribution lines, people that will protect our Gencos, people that will protect every power sector. It is not reasonable, it’s not acceptable for a country like Nigeria to spend billions of dollars on power infrastructure all for it to be vandalized. No country grows or develops without the power sector, so NSCDC, it is time for you to play your part,” Tunji-Ojo insisted.
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He further outlined a plan to sectorize responsibilities within the NSCDC to ensure more effective protection of critical infrastructure.
The Minister also touched on the issue of illegal mining, assuring Nigerians that the government is committed to winning this battle. “Today, I can tell you the revenue from the solid mineral sector is not where it used to be, it has improved. The security in terms of our mines has improved and of course, Nigeria is a big country therefore, we need to train more, we need to deploy more personnel to make sure that all our mines and all critical assets of Nigeria are well protected,” he said. “We have seen that there is no solution to our problems that Nigerians cannot provide. Yes, we’ve not yet won the war, but we know we will win the war.”
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mary Ogbe, also spoke at the event. He warned illegal miners to formalize their activities or face prosecution. “Let me warn illegal miners to embrace the bold initiative of the administration of the chief by formalizing their activities through the formation of cooperatives. The alternative is to face the dire consequences of prosecution for land degradation and illegal operations,” Ogbe stated.
NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Audi highlighted the challenge of illegal mining, mostly carried out by artisans without state permission. He stressed the need for adequate security measures and ongoing intensive training programs to strengthen the fight against illegal mining.
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