Nemesis has caught up with a vandal, who tried to steal power cables belonging to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Lokoja, Kogi State, as he got electrocuted and died instantly when power was restored to the installation in the wee hours of Thursday.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the incident occurred at Paparanda Square, Lokoja, at about 2am.
According to an eyewitness, who pleaded anonimity, he said the vandal was cutting the transformer cables when suddenly electricity was restored to the area in the process.
The eyewitness, who spoke to journalists at the scene, disclosed this on Thursday morning.
He claimed that he knew the victim, saying he was an indigene of Lokoja. He gave the victim’s name as Alfa Olukuluku Kabiru, from Angwan Masara street in the State capital city.
Also, a senior staff of AEDC, who was at the scene, though never wanted his name in print, told LEADERSHIP that: “This is why we always appeal to our consumers to always protect their transformers.
“If the vandal had made away with the cable, the whole area would have been plunged into darkness for days.
“The AEDC has been spending a lot of money on repairs of vandalised equipment and stolen cables.
“If all our installations are well secured, this money would have been spent on buying new equipment and ensuring regular power supply.”
Meanwhile, the corpse of the vandal has been handed over to the Police and has been taken to an undisclosed morgue.