The Eket and Ekim communities at the Ikot Abasi Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State have been thrown into darkness as vandals have dismantled the transmission line along Eket–Ikot Abasi.

A statement by the Transmission  Company of Nigeria’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, on Wednesday, said that Tower T35 along the Eket–Ikot Abasi 132kV Transmission Line collapsed on October 12, 2025, as a result of vandalism.

Following the collapse of the transmission tower, TCN noted that an inspection team from its Lines Department visited the site of the incident in Ete Community and found several dismantled tower components on the ground.

“A closer investigation revealed that additional tower members had been removed from the fallen tower and carted away.

“The team also observed that Towers T7, T33, and T34 had been tampered with.

“As a result, there is a temporary disruption of bulk power supply through the Eket and Ekim 132/33kV Transmission Substations, as well as the Ibom Power Station”, the statement read in part.

Consequently, TCN said the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company will be unable to off-take power from these substations for distribution to its customers in Eket and Ekim towns.

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TCN, however, said its team has commenced the mobilisation of resources to facilitate the reconstruction and restoration of the collapsed tower and transmission line as soon as possible.

“We reiterate that vandalism poses a serious threat to the stability of the nation’s transmission system and urge host communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities around transmission installations to security operatives or the nearest TCN office.”

It called on citizens to shun vandalism.

“The fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure is a collective responsibility. We call on all stakeholders to join hands in protecting these critical national assets from further attacks.”