A man, Olukuluku Kabiru, was electrocuted while vandalising an Abuja Electricity Distribution Company transformer at a substation on Camp Road in the Lokoja area of Kogi State on Thursday.
Mr Michael Eneromi, the manager of the power distribution firm, explained that the firm was contacted after the corpse was found at the substation, saying that the transformer at the station had been the subject of repeated vandalism recently.
He further explained, “Just last week, we fixed the transformer following a report by the community after it was vandalised. Yesterday, following another report of vandalism on the same transformer, we sent a letter requesting about N1.9m to fix the transformer.”
According to Eneromi, the electrocution of the vandal has exonerated the firm from insinuations made by people that workers of the firm were behind the vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the state.
He stated that it was his 20 years of working as a staff member of NEPA, AEDC and made bold to say never have there been incidents of vandalism by their staff, stressing that he was happy that the people could confirm the incident alongside others in Lokoja that mischief makers are behind the wicked act.
He appealed to members of the public to see electricity infrastructure as their equipment. He called on vigilantes, security agencies and members of the public to always call the attention of the AEDC when they notice unusual movements and ensure that only workers with identity cards are allowed to maintain their facilities.
The corpse had been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, by the police and the AEDC officials.