The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the arrest of a key suspect in the vandalism of six transmission towers along the Yola-Jalingo 330kV transmission line, with part of the stolen components recovered.

In a statement on Wednesday, TCN said the vandalised towers, identified as T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003 and T1004, were discovered during a routine patrol by its engineers on July 29, 2026. The company said vandals removed about 130 critical tower members, compromising the structural integrity of the transmission line.

Following the discovery, TCN said it partnered with the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the incident. On July 30, officials conducted a joint operation in the affected host community, where they met with the village head and youth leaders to seek their cooperation in identifying those responsible.

The company said the investigation recorded a breakthrough on August 1 after police arrested a principal suspect linked to the vandalism and recovered part of the stolen tower components.

TCN officials later visited the recovery site to verify the recovered materials and called for the suspect to be prosecuted, while police continue efforts to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal syndicate.

According to the company, investigators have obtained useful leads from the suspect in custody, and the investigation remains ongoing.

TCN condemned the repeated vandalism of electricity infrastructure, warning that such acts threaten investments in the power sector and the stability of electricity supply across the country.

The company urged host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around transmission facilities to security agencies or the nearest TCN office to help protect critical national assets.