The Transmission Company of Nigeria has declared force majeure on the Offa 132kV Transmission Substation in Kwara State after heavily armed men invaded the facility and held workers hostage at gunpoint.
The incident was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by the company’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah.
According to the statement, the attack happened in the early hours of Thursday when the gunmen forcefully entered the control room of the substation and ordered operators to shut down critical electricity feeders supplying power from the facility.
Mbah explained that the attackers instructed the operator on duty to open both the Offa and Ojoku 33kV feeders at about 12:45 a.m. before demanding a complete shutdown of the station.
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She added that during the operation, the armed men tampered with important control switches and relay buttons, while the 40MVA transformer at the station was shut down around 1:07 a.m.
Despite the disruption, the company said efforts were quickly made to restore electricity supply. The transformer was restored by 1:13 a.m., while the Offa and Ojoku feeders were restored shortly afterwards.
The company expressed regret over the disruption caused by the incident and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring stable electricity transmission across the country.
Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the attack or why the gunmen specifically targeted the power facility.
