Man electrocuted In Yobe while attempting to steal from transformer

A middle-aged man whose name is yet to be known as met his untimely demise while attempting to steal from a transformer substation.

The incident occurred at Commissioners’ Quarters, Yobe State where the individual tried to tamper with an exposed live wire.

The Communications Officer, Yola Electricity Distribution Company, Blessing Tunoh, made this known in a statement issued in Yola on Saturday.

Tunoh said that the company’s Regional Manager, Operations, visited the scene alongside the Maintenance Officer, after receiving the report of the incident.

She said that the suspect’s body was evacuated from the substation by the Damaturu police patrol team codenamed: “Operation Haba Maza,” and taken to the Damaturu Teaching Hospital.

The company’s spokesperson said that the relatives of the deceased came and identified the deceased’s corpse on arrival at the hospital and claimed it.

“Investigation revealed that the deceased attempted to use his shirt to shield himself while tampering with an exposed live wire during the illegal act.

“Unfortunately, contact with the live cable led to his instant electrocution but the transformer was not damaged, and no further vandalism was reported,” she said.

Tunoh quoted the Police Public Relations Officer, Yobe Command, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, as saying that the deceased had attempted to steal the power assets at about 1:00 a.m.

“There was power outage when the suspected vandal entered into the transformer substation but was suddenly electrocuted when power was restored.

“His lifeless body was discovered in the early hours of the morning by residents on their way to the mosque for morning prayers.

“The incident was promptly reported to the Maisandari ‘B’ Division of the Police Command in Yobe, which deployed personnel to evacuate the body.

“We will continue to support the YEDC in protecting their installations and prosecuting arrested vandals who damage power infrastructure and disrupt services,” she quoted Abdulkarim as saying.