A tragic incident occurred early Tuesday in Makurdi, Benue State, where a middle-aged man was electrocuted while allegedly attempting to vandalize a transformer and electricity cables belonging to the local electricity provider.
The shocking discovery was made by residents near Queens Hotel in Ankpa Ward, where they found the victim’s lifeless body suspended between two utility poles connected to the transformer.
According to a local resident, the man exploited power outages in the area to try and carry out the vandalism. It is believed that he met his demise when electricity was unexpectedly restored to nearby neighborhoods.
One resident recounted, “We woke up around 5 a.m. and noticed power had been restored in some areas. When we checked the transformer, we found that all the cables and equipment had been stripped, and the man was hanging lifeless on the pole.”
Emergency services were alerted, and local police arrived to remove the body.
The Head of Corporate Communications at the local electricity provider condemned the ongoing vandalism of electrical facilities in the state, stating that the company faces significant challenges in protecting its assets.
He emphasized, “It is increasingly difficult for us to secure these facilities alone. We urge communities to take responsibility for the electricity infrastructure that serves them.”
Further highlighting the consequences of such criminal acts, he noted that they not only impose a financial burden on the company but also jeopardize the security and economic stability of the neighborhoods affected by the outages.
Local law enforcement has confirmed the incident, reiterating the importance of community vigilance against vandalism targeting critical utilities.
