Darkness hits Presidential Villa as TCN confirms cable theft

DDM News

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed a power outage affecting parts of the Presidential Villa and over 60 percent of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The outage was caused by the theft of a 132-kilovolt underground cable.

This cable plays a critical role in delivering bulk electricity to the 132kV Central Area Transmission Substation.

Diaspora digital media (DDM) gathered In a statement on Friday, TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah disclosed that the vandalism occurred near the Millennium Park area in Abuja.

The vandals reportedly stole 40 meters of 1×500 mm² XLPE conductors from two 132kV transmission lines.

According to TCN, the stolen cable is essential for transporting bulk electricity to the Central Area Transmission Substation.

The substation distributes power through eight feeders operated by AEDC to customers in Central Area and nearby locations.

As a result of the incident, electricity supply has been disrupted in several key areas of Abuja.

These areas include Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Life Camp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and parts of the Presidential Villa.

TCN has assured the public that its engineers have been deployed to the site of the theft.

Efforts are already underway to repair the damaged cables and restore power.

However, the company did not provide a specific timeline for completing the repairs.

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) had earlier attributed recent power outages in Abuja to faults on 132kV lines.

These faults were reported to have occurred between the Katampe substation and the AT5 Central Area Transmission Station.

TCN has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a stable power supply despite the challenges posed by vandalism.

The company appealed to the public to remain vigilant and protect critical national infrastructure.

Residents were urged to report any suspicious activities around power facilities.

The theft of XLPE conductors represents a serious threat to the reliability of electricity supply in Abuja.

TCN emphasized the need for collective action to safeguard public utilities and ensure uninterrupted power distribution.

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