TCN TEAMS UP WITH VIGILANTES TO FIGHT POWER INFRASTRUCTURE THEFT
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THE Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Tuesday, intensified synergy with vigilantes in Niger State to protect power transmitting facilities located in their communities in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
Following a sensitization of Daku, kaigbana and Iwah to protect TCN installations, the General Manager, TCN, Abuja Region, Engr Musa Shuaibu, explained that it became necessary for the management of TCN to embark on the sensitization and strengthening of its collaboration with the vigilante members in the three communities to safeguard the national power assets located in their communities.
Shuaibu also expressed optimism that with this move there will be serious security around TCN power infrastructures.
TCN also emphasized that every act of vandalism plunges communities, even states into darkness, and that Nigerians should not allow vandals to control power supply, therefore, should report suspicious activities and protect electricity supply, and also call the TCN number on 08080658374 in case of sighting vandals and their collaborators or report to the nearest police station.
He said: “We have this group on the ground. So that we kind of try to rejuvenate or re-sensitize them on this issue of vandalism. Most especially, like this Shiroro-Katampe double circuit, the area is prone to vandalization. In fact, most of the vandalization we are having is from this area.
“So, the management has decided to go and see, talk to these people, even if the vandals are not within them, they are coming from somewhere to come and do this.
“So, when they say anybody, you need to see how you can report if you see any strange face walking around our lines. As I said initially, this area is prone to vandalism, so that is why we are here to sensitize the local populace of the need to see that and let them rejig the activities of putting their eyes on our facility here.”
Meanwhile, according to him, TCN is in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC and other security agencies who are also stationed at strategic locations to protect its facilities, while he added that it is also necessary to engage the local vigilante and community members because of their knowledge and intelligence about their environment, and could easily crackdown on vandals..
“We are in collaboration with the Civil Defence and other security agencies. The local vigilantes are in the community. So, we have a mechanism in place such that when we have an issue, we quickly go and speak to the NSCDC, and we have the Civil Defence stationed at Suleja TS, which is close to this place. We have another group stationed at Gwagwalada, which is close to the Lokoja axis. So, with this in-house vigilante, they lurk around when they see strange faces. We work with them and this is not the first time we are engaging the vigilantes. We have been working with them for a long time in collaboration with other government security agencies. We just want the vigilantes to redouble their efforts.
Meanwhile, the Village Head, Daku Community, Chief Danladi Yahaya, said, “We are against persons who are vandalizing power facilities in our area, and I will want to appeal to my people to work together and ensure the facilities are protected. Some of the vigilantes have guns while others do not.
“We want the government to employ the vigilantes as staff of TCN to do more, and also employ more people to join the current number of vigilantes we have in the area for effective protection of power installations including welfare.”
The Commander, Vigilante, Tafa Local Government Area, Niger State, Chidawa Simon, called on TCN to provide security materials and employ more men to protect the lines as the vigilantes are very ready to work with them.
“We are really impressed with the interaction and sensitization with TCN, but because we are aware of the vandalization of the power lines, and we seek government’s support including manpower because we are ready to do the job, and we give the TCN our maximum cooperation towards protecting the lines against the vandalization”, Simon stated.
A member of the vigilante, Marcus Sabila, said, “The power facilities have been vandalized three times, and we are ready to work with TCN, we appeal to the company to assist us with security materials because we are also affected by the act of vandalization as our businesses are affected. So we want the company to do something for the vigilante for effective operations.”
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