Saturday, 18 January 2025 04:44

Vandals plunge Nigeria’s seat of power into darkness

Rate this item
(0 votes)

In a spectacle befitting a nation where irony is never in short supply, the Presidential Villa in Abuja, home to the country’s highest office, has been thrown into darkness following the theft of electricity cables supplying power to the area.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed on Friday that vandals had made off with 40 meters of 1x500mm² XLPE conductors from a 132kV underground transmission line near Millennium Park, just a stone’s throw from the very heart of Nigeria’s power structure. The affected line supplies electricity to the 132kV Central Area transmission substation, which distributes power to central parts of Abuja, including the Presidential Villa.

TCN’s General Manager, Ndidi Mba, noted that the brazen act disrupted power in Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and portions of the Villa itself. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, also chimed in with a statement decrying the rising tide of cable thefts but offered little consolation to those left fumbling for their flashlights.

The Presidential Villa, often hailed as the seat of power, now finds itself quite literally powerless—an ironic twist in a country where symbolism often outweighs substance. One would think that securing the nation’s corridors of influence might extend to safeguarding the cables keeping the lights on. But alas, even Aso Rock is not immune to the scourge of infrastructure vandalism.

Engineers have reportedly been dispatched to repair the damage, though it remains to be seen whether the response will be as swift as the vandals’ handiwork.

Meanwhile, Abuja residents, including those within earshot of presidential decision-making, are left pondering whether the real blackout is in the cables or the leadership itself.

May 30, 2025

Nigeria's $3bn fashion drain: How import dependence undermines local textile industry

Nigeria's fashion sector is hemorrhaging billions of dollars annually due to overwhelming reliance on imported…
June 01, 2025

‘Nigeria under siege by urban bandits, poverty weaponized’ – Atiku, El-Rufai warn

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have issued a scathing…
June 01, 2025

Her daughter was taken and sent abroad - 44 years later, they found each other

The last memory Han Tae-soon has of her daughter as a child is in May…
May 31, 2025

Tools made of whale bones reveal inventiveness of prehistoric people

Artifacts found at archeological sites in France and Spain along the Bay of Biscay shoreline…
May 31, 2025

Troops kill 60 terrorists and top ISWAP commander in Borno, as FCT mourns 11 killed…

Nigerian troops have killed over 60 terrorists in Borno State during a series of operations,…
June 01, 2025

What to know after Day 1193 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia launches air attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, mayor says Ukraine's air defence…
May 29, 2025

AI system resorts to blackmail when its developers try to replace it

An artificial intelligence model has the ability to blackmail developers — and isn’t afraid to…
May 13, 2025

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualify for World Cup after dramatic win over Senegal

Nigeria's U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, have secured their place at the 2025…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.