Members of a local community vigilante group in southern Nigeria have arrested a man allegedly attempting to vandalise a high-voltage electricity transmission tower along the Benin–Onitsha 330kV line.
The incident occurred at around 02:30 local time on Sunday, 2 August, when members of the Omelu Community Vigilante spotted a man acting suspiciously beneath a transmission tower during a routine patrol.
The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Humphry Anala from Edo State, was allegedly attempting to unbolt the tower’s base bracing when he was apprehended.
Repeat offence allegations
Following his arrest, Mr. Anala was handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and potential prosecution.
According to preliminary findings, the suspect had been caught by the same vigilante group two months earlier for a similar alleged offence. On that occasion, he was released after pleading for leniency and receiving medical treatment.
The state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) commended the vigilante group for its swift action in protecting critical energy infrastructure.
TCN urged host communities across the country to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity around power installations to security agencies, warning that infrastructure vandalism continues to pose a major threat to the national power grid.
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