Nigeria Forms Power Security Panel After N9bn Repair Bill

Nigeria's federal government has established a ministerial committee to curb electricity infrastructure vandalism, following costly repairs and repeated attacks on the national power network. Power Minister Joseph Tegbe inaugurated the panel in Abuja on Friday, October 9, 2026, bringing together security agencies and electricity sector representatives to coordinate enforcement, improve asset protection and reduce supply disruptions.

The initiative follows documented damage to transmission infrastructure and substantial restoration expenses. According to Punch, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed in June 2025 that 42 vandalism incidents during the first half of that year affected 178 transmission towers nationwide.

In January 2025, former Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu said more than N9 billion had been spent restoring vandalized electricity infrastructure in northern Nigeria during 2024, highlighting the financial burden of repeated attacks.

TCN recorded damage across several transmission regions, including Abuja, Bauchi, Enugu, Shiroro, Kano and Port Harcourt. Attacks on towers, conductors and cables can restrict the movement of electricity from generating stations to distribution companies, even when power plants continue producing electricity.

At the committee's inaugural meeting, Tegbe said attacks across generation, transmission and distribution networks undermine electricity reliability, increase repair expenses and threaten investments in the sector.

"The committee was constituted in response to attacks on generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, which disrupt supply to consumers, increase repair costs and erode the investment on which the sector depends," Tegbe said.

The committee will define the responsibilities of participating institutions and coordinate its work with the critical infrastructure unit of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Officials also agreed to strengthen enforcement of existing laws, pursue offenders and deploy technology to protect electricity assets.

Participants proposed public awareness and advocacy initiatives intended to prevent attacks before damage occurs. The ministry said the measures should reduce infrastructure-related outages and improve protection for public and private investment.

The inaugural meeting included Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, directors from ONSA, leaders of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and representatives of relevant agencies.

Separately, vandalism has affected streetlights, traffic signals, road barriers, telecommunications cables and electricity equipment in the Federal Capital Territory. The Sun reported that residents in parts of Abuja had repeatedly contributed money to replace stolen or damaged electrical cables, with some expressing frustration over recurring repair costs.

NSCDC FCT Commandant Dr Olusola Odumosu said the command had arrested more than 30 members of a gang involved in infrastructure-related crimes since January, according to The Sun. The reported operations included arrests involving damaged road barriers, electricity transformers, armored cables and streetlight wiring.

"The arrest is a proof that the FCT Command is not backing down in its resolve to protect critical national assets and infrastructure (CNAI) in FCT as well as chase out vandals and criminal elements from the city. Seven suspects were arrested in January, two in March, four in April, five in May and 10 in June," Odumosu said.

The committee's members pledged to cooperate on prevention and enforcement, with another meeting scheduled for the following week to assess progress on the proposed measures.