VANDAL ELECTROCUTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO VANDALIZE ABA POWER INFRASTRUCTURE

Victim of cable vandal in Aba

Tragedy struck the residents of Omuma Road in Aba, Abia State, on Wednesday morning as they awoke to a disturbing scene, the lifeless body of an unidentified man hanging from the poles supporting wires connected to a distribution transformer in the Aba Power network.

The individual was reportedly electrocuted while attempting to cut copper wires from the transformer.

According to eyewitnesses, the deceased was accompanied by two other suspected vandals, who fled the scene immediately after the electrocution occurred.

The Witnesses further stated that the transformer line tripped with a loud spark just before one of the men ran away.

Reacting to the incident, Aba Power’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager, Mr. Ikenna Okwoli, expressed shock at the lengths some individuals would go in their attempts to vandalize electricity infrastructure.

Also speaking at the scene, Mr. Edise Ekong, Manager of Branding and Communication for Aba Power, described the incident as unfortunate.

“It is sad to see an able-bodied man lose his life in this way. Unfortunately, this is one of the consequences of unauthorized access and interference with electricity assets,” he stated.

Mr. Ekong further emphasized the need for stronger community collaboration to protect critical public infrastructure.

“Communities must come together and work with Aba Power to safeguard electricity assets around them. That is the only way we can win the war against vandals and vandalism,” he added.

The body was later retrieved by officers from the Abia State Police Command and taken to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Mortuary off Jubilee Road, Aba.

Residents who gathered at the scene expressed their disappointment, noting that the attempted vandalism could once again plunge the community into darkness.

Mr. John Ezeonwu, a local food store owner, lamented:“The people living on Omuma Road and the surrounding areas haven’t enjoyed steady power supply due to a serious misunderstanding, which had only recently been resolved. Just as we began to enjoy regular electricity again, a miscreant has now caused another outage. It’s our tough luck, though we’re confident Aba Power will restore supply as soon as possible.

“I won’t say the vandal deserved what happened, but it is truly unfortunate,” he added.

Aba Power has once again warned vandals to desist from their unlawful activities and pursue more productive endeavors. The company stressed that vandalism of power infrastructure not only disrupts electricity supply but also endangers lives.