TCN partners NSCDC to combat illegal encroachment in Osun

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Osogbo Region, in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has carried out a joint enforcement operation against illegal encroachment and unauthorised activities within TCN’s Right of Way (RoW) corridors in Osun State.

The operation, led by the Principal Manager, System Lines, Engineer Gbenga Akeju, alongside officers of the NSCDC’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Department, targeted individuals and business operators carrying out unlawful activities beneath high-voltage 330kV and 132kV transmission lines.

Speaking during the exercise, Engineer Akeju said illegal structures and commercial activities within transmission corridors pose serious threats to public safety, critical power infrastructure, and the stability of electricity supply across the country.

He explained that TCN’s Right of Way corridors are designated not only to safeguard transmission infrastructure but also to protect surrounding communities from hazards such as electrocution, vandalism, fire outbreaks, and power disruptions.

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He also commended the continued support and collaboration of the NSCDC in the protection of critical national assets, noting that similar enforcement operations and public sensitisation campaigns would continue across the region to promote public safety and safeguard the nation’s transmission network.

The enforcement exercise focused on ensuring compliance with statutory safety clearances of 25 metres on both sides of 330kV transmission lines and 15 metres on both sides of 132kV lines, in line with national safety regulations and laws guiding the protection of critical infrastructure.

During the operation, several cases of encroachment and illegal occupation were identified along the Osogbo–Ikeja West and Osogbo–Ayede 330kV transmission lines, as well as the Osogbo–Ede 132kV transmission line around the Oke-Onti and Hallelujah areas of Olurunda Local Government Area of Osun State.

Some violators were arrested and taken into custody for questioning, while affected individuals were required to provide credible sureties alongside court-sworn undertakings to vacate the affected corridors within the stipulated timeframe.