The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has proposed the creation of a specialized team, known as the “power rangers,” to safeguard the country’s power facilities.
The Federal Government has issued a warning to those damaging transmission towers, urging them to stop their actions or suffer the consequences.
On Wednesday, vandals destroyed two towers, specifically T193 and T194, located along the 330-kilovolt single circuit transmission line. Additionally, on December 28, 2023, three towers, T193, T194, and T195, were destroyed in Borno State using improvised explosive devices.
During his remarks at the Passing Out Parade and launch of the second group of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Mining Marshals in Abuja on Friday, the minister referred to the widespread destruction of power infrastructure as “economic terrorism” that necessitates strong and decisive responses.
The minister said, “I will speak with my brother, the Minister of Power, the rate of vandalism, of economic terrorism going on with our transmission lines, have to be looked into.
“It is your job to make sure that no critical asset of government is destroyed and we are ready and I believe NSCDC is up to the task.”
“The next time I come here, I want to see my Power Rangers, I mean people that will protect our distribution lines, people that will protect our Gencos people that will protect every power sector. It is not reasonable, it’s not acceptable for a country like Nigeria to spend billions of dollars on power infrastructure all for it to be vandalized no country grows or develops without the power sector so NSCDC it is time for you to play your part.
“I have decided that the solution towards you accomplishing your mandate is sectorisation of your responsibility.”