The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to curb the vandalism of electricity infrastructure, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, moving to establish a dedicated joint task force to protect critical power assets across the country.
The initiative emerged during a courtesy visit by the minister to the IGP at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, where both officials pledged closer collaboration to tackle criminal attacks on Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure.
Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary and other senior officials of the Ministry of Power, Tegbe stressed that safeguarding transmission lines, substations and other critical power installations was essential to sustaining ongoing reforms in the electricity sector and improving power supply nationwide.
The minister commended the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of IGP Disu for its efforts in maintaining national security, describing the force as a critical partner in protecting strategic national assets.
He identified the persistent vandalisation of electricity infrastructure as one of the greatest threats to the stability of the power sector, noting that attacks on transmission facilities continue to undermine government investments and disrupt electricity supply.
Tegbe called for enhanced surveillance, intelligence sharing and coordinated security operations to safeguard critical infrastructure from criminal elements.
Responding, the Inspector-General of Police welcomed the initiative, describing the engagement as a reflection of the growing importance of collaboration between security agencies and key government institutions.
Disu reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to protecting national infrastructure, particularly electricity facilities that are vital to Nigeria’s economic growth, industrial development and energy security.
He assured the minister that the police would intensify efforts to prevent attacks on power installations while ensuring that vandals and other perpetrators of crimes against the electricity sector are identified, arrested and prosecuted.
The IGP also expressed the Force’s readiness to work with the Ministry of Power to establish a dedicated task force focused on protecting electricity infrastructure across the country.
According to him, the specialised task force would strengthen surveillance, improve intelligence gathering and enhance rapid response to threats targeting critical power assets and personnel.
The meeting forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in securing critical national infrastructure under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The proposed joint task force is expected to bolster the protection of Nigeria’s electricity network, reduce incidents of vandalism and support the government’s drive to deliver a more stable, reliable and sustainable power supply to homes and businesses nationwide.
