Benin: Sbee alerts on the growing threat of vandalism of electrical installations.

Through the targeted theft of transformers, cables, and other key equipment, malicious individuals are severely disrupting economic activities and hindering major investments aimed at improving access to electricity.

For the Beninese Electricity Company (Sbee), these acts go beyond simple degradation. According to Paterne Affo, Deputy Technical Director of the Internal Network for the Northern Zone, “Vandalism is theft.” Transformers, particularly sought after for the copper they contain, along with cables, metal poles, and distribution boxes are the main targets of the criminals.

Heavy consequences for the daily lives of the population

Every act of sabotage on the network can cause prolonged power outages, depriving entire neighborhoods of light for several hours, or even weeks. These interruptions severely impact businesses, craftsmen, administrations, schools, and especially health centers, where energy is vital for the operation of medical equipment.

Beyond economic inconveniences, these acts pose a direct life-threatening danger to both the perpetrators and local residents. The deterioration of installations can lead to electrocutions, fires, or large-scale explosions, similar to the recent explosion of a transformer recorded in Nikki.

This phenomenon also incurs a colossal financial cost for the Sbee. The financial and material resources mobilized urgently to replace destroyed equipment could have been directly allocated to the expansion and modernization of the national electricity network. Paterne Affo reminds that the money invested to repair vandalized works is resources that could have been used to connect new subscribers across the country.

In light of the situation’s severity, the Sbee is calling on the public to actively get involved in protecting public infrastructure. Users are invited to identify the company’s agents by their uniforms, logos, and official ID cards. Any suspicious activity observed around an electrical installation must be immediately reported to the security forces or directly to the Sbee call center via the short number 7302.

The technical manager emphasizes that securing installations is a collective responsibility. The Sbee network constitutes the heritage of the entire Beninese people, and the energy it distributes remains essential for the country’s development and the future of generations to come.