The management of Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) has reported that over 80 transformers within its franchise areas were vandalized and looted during the recent power outage in the north,Daily Trust reports.
The company further revealed that large power cables supplying electricity to communities were stolen during this period, with Plateau being the hardest hit.
Engr. Hamisu Wakili Jigawa, the Chief Technical Officer overseeing operations, shared these details with Daily Trust at the company’s headquarters on Friday. According to Jigawa, the vandalism disrupted reliable power supply to the affected communities. He said, “The damage to the transformers and theft of cables have posed significant challenges for us. The scale of vandalism is extensive, with some lines completely stripped.”
“Aluminum conductors serving certain communities were entirely vandalized,” he continued. “Around 213 kilovolts of power lines were knocked out of operation for several days. Just yesterday, we managed to repair the last one. We’ve lost a substantial amount of distribution assets, including transformers and cables. In some instances, vandals drained the transformers of oil, removed the coils, and left only the empty tank.”
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Engr. Jigawa urged communities to stay vigilant and help protect these electrical assets, stressing that ongoing vandalism will only result in continued power outages.
