The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) says over 80 transformers within its franchise areas were vandalised and looted during the recent power outage in the northern parts of Nigeria.
The power outage was caused by terrorists who destroyed transmission lines in Niger State.
Hamisu Jigawa, the distribution company’s chief technical officer in charge of operations, disclosed this at the company’s headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday.
Jigawa said huge cables supplying power to communities, valued at millions of naira, were also stolen during the period. It said most of the vandalism occurred in Plateau State.
According to the official, the vandals’ activities have affected the supply of power to communities. He said, “The vandalism of the transformers and theft of the cables were quite challenging to us. The level of vandalism is too high. Some lines were entirely vandalised.
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“Aluminum conductors feeding some communities entirely vandalised. We have about 213 KVs that are completely out of circuits for a number of days. It was yesterday that we were able to fix the last one.
We have lost a lot of distribution assets, especially distribution transformers and cables. In some cases, the vandals opened the transformers and removed the oil, coil and everything. They only left an empty tank, “ he added.
Jigawa urged communities to be vigilant and protect the electrical assets, emphasising that vandalising them will continue to leave people in darkness.
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