From Moshood Olawale Karim
In a shocking incident that unfolded in the early hours of Monday morning, residents of Jattu, a community near Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, were startled by the sight of a dangling corpse.
The lifeless body belonged to a suspected cable vandal who had met his untimely demise while attempting to carry out his illegal mission.
The scene quickly became the centre of attention as a multitude of onlookers from the community gathered, seeking to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the thief’s tragic death.
According to reports gathered by Uptown Press, it was revealed that the deceased managed to disconnect three precious armored cables from the power source before his ill-fated encounter with destiny.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the thief faced his fatal electrocution as he was making his descent from the pole, just as the electricity supply was unexpectedly restored around 1AM. This sudden surge of power proved to be a fatal blow, leaving the suspected cable thief lifeless and hanging perilously from the transformer pole.
Residents in Jattu expressed their astonishment at the incident, as instances of cable theft have plagued their community for some time. They attribute the recurring acts of vandalism to the lack of security measures in place to protect their valuable infrastructure.
“We have always been aware of the loose cables on the transformer, and in some cases, we have been asked to contribute funds to replace the stolen cables. However, last night, divine justice caught up with one of the thieves,” a resident told Uptown Press.
The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) officials were called upon to remove the lifeless body from the pole. Meanwhile, the local police have begun an investigation into the incident. However, they have chosen to withhold any official comments at this stage.
