A middle-aged man identified as Inalegwu Major, has been electrocuted while vandalising an electricity transformer in Otukpo town, Otukpo Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.
The vandal, whose lifeless body was seen on Saturday morning dangling from the pole-mounted transformer close to the Otukpo JAMB office, was reported to have climbed the pole with the aid of other accomplices who escaped unhurt.
According to an eyewitness, the vandal and his gang members had gone to the transformer when there was an outage at about 4 a.m., only for power to be restored by shortly after he climbed the pole and started vandalising the installation.
“He had already started vandalising the installation at about 4 a.m. when power was suddenly restored, and as God would have it, he could not escape electrocution after vandalising some of the armoured cable.
“We learnt that it was the scream from the spot by his gang members that attracted people’s attention because no one knew that they were vandalising the installation.
“The incident attracted a large crowd of people who thronged the Otukpo JAMB office to catch a glimpse of the victim.
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“The victim and his gang may have been the unknown cable vandals who had been tampering with power installations in Otukpo town without being arrested, but this time, owners of the installation arrested him unknowingly,” he said.
When contacted, the Head, Corporate Communications, Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Dr. Adakole Elijah who confirmed the development said:
“Yes, it happened; he got electrocuted. It was a transformer serving the JAMB Computer Based Test, CBT, Centre. The case has been reported to the police, and I am also in talks with the managers of the CBT Centre.
“It was an obvious attempt to vandalise the transformer. We have high spate of transformer vandalism there in Otukpo town.
“The truth is that the transformer is properly safeguarded; it is a pole-mounted transformer. So for someone to climb it, it beats my imagination. That tells you it was deliberate—a clear case of vandalism. I am sure he went with a very terrible motive, and unfortunately, he has paid with his life.”
Dr. Elijah cautioned those in the habit of tampering with power installations to desist. He also urged the public to safeguard such installations in their domain for better service delivery.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, was unsuccessful.
