Cheers In Yobe As Electricity Is Restored Four Days After Boko Haram Attack On Power Line

There was a sense of relief among the residents of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, yesterday after electricity was restored after four days of power outages caused by the destruction of electricity towers by Boko Haram insurgents.

Naija News understands that on Thursday, a power transmission line that provided electricity to Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, and certain areas of Borno State was set ablaze by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

Reports revealed that the terrorists utilized Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to bring down three poles of the 330KVA High Tension Line, which stretched from Gombe to Damaturu, specifically near Kasaisa Village close to Yobe State University Damaturu.

The detonation of the explosive device reverberated across various sections of Damaturu.

As a result, households, businesses, and water vendors were severely affected, forcing many residents to rely on generators for power.

However, on Sunday at approximately 11:46 am, the Yobe State Rural Electrification Board (REB), in collaboration with the Yola Electricity Distribution Company, restored electricity in the city.

Military Acting To Prevent Repeat Of Attack

Reacting earlier, a retired brigadier general and the Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security, Dahiru Abdulsalam, confirmed that the military is already combing the affected areas to avoid further attacks.

According to PremiumTimes, Abdulsalam told journalists in Damaturu that the incident exemplifies the insurgents’ strategy of targeting “soft targets” to demonstrate their continued relevance.

Abdulsalam further mentioned that the military has implemented measures such as conducting night patrols and setting up ambushes along the high-tension lines to prevent any recurrence of such attacks.

“Yesterday we heard two explosions, some said around Red Bricks, some said around Waziri Ibrahim, and others said Gujba road.

“There was no clue until this morning when we sent out security agents to scan the areas, and then we got a clue from one of our informants that the explosions occurred around the Kasaisa area.

“On getting there, it was discovered that people suspected to be members of Boko Haram insurgents used Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs) to destroy the 33kva line that conveys electricity from Gombe to Yobe and some parts of Borno State.”