Suspected cable thief electrocuted in Anambra

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

A yet-to-be-identified man has been electrocuted near the Faculty of Education building, close to the Department of Economics of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State.

The suspected cable thief was said to have finished cutting a cable from a high-tension pole before he was electrocuted as power was suddenly restored by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

It was gathered that the incident occurred late on Monday.

The lifeless body was discovered dangling on the high-tension pole on Wednesday morning where employees of the electricity distribution company were seen evacuating the corpse from the pole.

As of the time of filing this report, electricity distribution officials, policemen, and officials of the safety department of the university were still retrieving the lifeless body of the suspect from the electric pole where he was suspended.

An official in the university who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to do so, said, “We came this morning and found the body suspended from the electric pole at a transformer point in the area of the new Faculty of Education building, close to the Department of Economics.

“Evidence showed he was almost done cutting a high-tension cable before electricity was restored by the EEDC and he got electrocuted.

“EEDC officials, policemen, and officials of the Safety Department of the university were on the ground as the body was being retrieved around 11 a.m. today (Tuesday). I witnessed the retrieval but wish to remain anonymous.”

The incident is coming barely a week after an unidentified man also died in similar circumstances after attempting to vandalise an electricity cable from a transformer in Amawbia, near Awka.

The state Police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, could not confirm the incident as of the time of filing the report.

But reacting to the development, the Head, of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, lamented the continuous attacks on electricity installation across the South-East.