A yet-to-be-identified middle-aged man tragically lost his life in the early hours of Tuesday after being electrocuted while attempting to vandalize a transformer and cables owned by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED).
The incident occurred directly opposite Queens Hotel, situated in Ankpa Ward, Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State.
Residents of the area woke up to the shocking sight of the man’s lifeless body suspended between two poles connecting the cables to the transformer.
According to Terkula, a resident, the victim took advantage of the power outage in the area to carry out the act, but his life was cut short when power was unexpectedly restored.
Terkula recounted the events of the morning, saying,
“We woke up around 5 am to find that electricity had been restored in some areas and streets nearby.
A few of our neighbors decided to check the transformer, and when we arrived, we found that all the cables and installations had been removed. To our shock, we saw a lifeless body on the pole.”
Dr. Adakole Elijah, Head of Corporate Communications at JED, confirmed the incident and strongly condemned the actions of vandals in Benue State, despite the company’s efforts to secure its installations.
He emphasized the need for community involvement in protecting electricity facilities, stating, “It has become practically impossible for the company to single-handedly protect these assets.
We urge communities to take ownership of electricity facilities in their areas, as they are the ones who benefit from these facilities.”
Dr. Elijah highlighted the financial losses and risks associated with vandalism, saying, “Each time our facilities are vandalized, we spend significant amounts of money to restore services, only for them to be vandalized again.
While the assets belong to the company, the communities are the end-users.
Vandalism puts communities at risk in terms of security, social, and economic benefits. We continue to plead with people, especially community policing and vigilantes, to assist in safeguarding these assets.”
The Police Public Relations Officer for the State Command, SP Catherine Anene, also confirmed the incident, stating, “I am aware that someone was electrocuted in Wadata while attempting to vandalize a transformer. I received a report about that.
