The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has addressed the ongoing blackout in northern Nigeria, attributing the widespread power outage to recent acts of vandalism carried out by bandits.
Speaking before the Senate Committee on Power, who had summoned him to explain the situation, Adelabu clarified that the blackout was not due to technical failures or grid collapse but rather to deliberate vandalization of critical power infrastructure.
“The current blackout being experienced in the northern part of the country is a direct result of the actions of bandits,” Adelabu explained. “These groups have been systematically targeting and vandalizing our power facilities in the region.”
He also pointed out the difficulty in repairing the damage quickly due to ongoing security threats to contractors.
“The bandits have not only destroyed essential power infrastructure, but they are also actively threatening the lives of the contractors tasked with making repairs,” Adelabu stated. “For this reason, we’ve had to seek assistance from the National Security Adviser and other security agencies to provide the necessary protection.”
Adelabu emphasized to the Senate that this was not a typical technical issue but an instance of criminal activity.
“With due respect to the distinguished senators,” he said, “the blackout in the North is not because of a technical grid collapse. It’s purely a case of vandalization. We are dealing with individuals deliberately destroying infrastructure.”
To address the situation, the Minister said the government had explored alternate routes to restore power to the affected regions.
“We have looked into using the Makurdi-Bauchi route as an alternative power supply line,” Adelabu said. “Though this route was also vandalized, it’s fortunately easier to repair, and we are working on it as a priority.”
Assuring senators and the public, he expressed optimism about resolving the issue soon.
“We are saying that within the next two to three days, power will be restored to the North,” Adelabu confirmed, concluding that security measures are in place to protect both infrastructure and personnel in the ongoing efforts to stabilize the power situation in the region.
