In Benin, Vandal Meets Tragic End, Dies Stealing Power Cables

A suspected vandal met his waterloo Tuesday morning in Edo State as he was electrocuted while trying to steal power cables from the Etete Injection Substation of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc in the capital, Benin City.

A report by the Punch newspaper said operatives of the Etete Police Division, who rushed to the scene having been alerted, evacuated the body from the facility on Tuesday morning.

Head of Branding and Corporate Communications, Ms. Evelyn Gbiwen, confirmed the incident to journalists in Benin, saying that the injection substation, which receives electricity from the transmission network and feeds it into the distribution network for onward supply to consumers, had shown signs of damage sequel to the failed vandalism attempt.

She informed that the company received a report that a suspected vandal had been electrocuted after returning to the facility to continue stealing cables.

According to Gbiwen, vandals suspected to be members of the same group had invaded the substation on Sunday and carted away several copper cables before returning on Monday night. The BEDC spokesperson further informed that the company’s Regional Head anticipated another attack and directed the personnel to remain on alert.

“The suspect ,” she disclosed, “was electrocuted after mistakenly cutting what he believed was an earthing cable, but which was actually a neutral cable connected to the power transformer, triggering an electrical explosion.”

She renewed BEDC’s appeal to communities to help protect critical power infrastructure in their areas describing vandalism as a growing menace across the company’s four franchise states.

“The destruction of electricity infrastructure continues to disrupt power supply and impose huge financial losses on the company” Gbiwen added. “I urge residents living close to substations and transformers to be vigilant.”

Regional Head, Technical, Benin South Region, Engr. Afebogbe Oguezor, told the journalists that preliminary findings revealed that the suspects likely gained access by scaling the perimeter fence despite the tight security at the facility.

Oguezor said BEDC was considering reinforcing the fence with barbed wire and other security measures to deter future attacks.