A yet-to-be-identified man was on Sunday morning electrocuted while allegedly attempting to vandalise an electricity transformer located within the premises of Borno State University, Maiduguri.
The deceased, believed to be between 40 and 50 years old, was discovered lifeless near the transformer by campus security personnel and residents, sparking tension across the institution.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Kenneth Daso, said preliminary investigations showed that the man had tried to tamper with the facility before he was fatally electrocuted.
“It is quite unfortunate. We received a distress call from Borno State University that a body was found near a transformer,” Daso told journalists.
“From initial observations, the deceased appears to be between 40 and 50 years old. He attempted to vandalise the transformer and was electrocuted in the process, which led to his death.”
Daso disclosed that operatives from the Bulunkutu Police Division and officials of the Borno State Fire Service swiftly responded to the scene. The remains of the victim were later evacuated to the mortuary for further medical examination.
He further explained that forensic experts have been deployed to collect evidence to aid investigations into the incident.
“Right now, our focus is to ensure the body is evacuated and subjected to medical examination. Our forensic experts are also on the ground to gather every available evidence that will help in our investigation,” he added.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing menace of vandalism of public power infrastructure in Nigeria. According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the country loses billions of naira annually to acts of vandalism on transformers, power lines, and other critical electricity facilities (see report here).
Residents around Borno State University expressed concern over the security of public utilities within the state, stressing that such acts often throw communities into prolonged darkness and disrupt academic and economic activities.
Efforts to identify the deceased are ongoing, while police authorities have urged members of the public with useful information to assist in tracing his identity and possible accomplices.
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