19-year-old suspected transformer vadal electrocuted in Enugu

A 19-year-old suspected vandal was, on Friday, electrocuted in Enugu State while allegedly vandalising electrical cables of a transformer.

The deceased has been identified as Sunday Nwode.

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, in a statement on Friday, said the incident happened inside a transformer house at Ngwo Camp 2, Coal Camp in the state.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the vandalised transformer belongs to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

“The body of the suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead, and the corpse deposited in the mortuary for preservation and further investigative actions,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has warned criminals who engage in such acts of vandalism to desist from it to avoid facing similar fate, Mr Ndukwe said.

Mr Uzuegbu stressed that apart from the prospect of being electrocuted, those who engage in vandalism will be prosecuted as soon as they were caught.

EEDC speaks

The spokesperson of the EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, in a statement on Friday, said the victim must have died as power supply was restored while he was cutting the cables.

Mr Ezeh described the incident as “tragic and very unfortunate,” while lamenting the increasing rate at which vandals attack EEDC’s electricity installations “daily.”

“This is a development that has adversely impacted not just the quality of service to its customers but also its revenue,” he said.

The EEDC spokesperson appealed to customers of the company to join hands with them to ensure protection of electricity facilities within their neighbourhoods.

“It is a battle we all have to fight collectively because once these transformers are vandalised, customers who are served by the installation will be greatly affected,” Mr Ezeh said.