Suspected Vandal Escapes Dêath After Electrocution Attempt While Tampering with Transformer In Jos

In a shocking incident that unfolded in the Rayfield area of Jos, Plateau State, a suspected vandal narrowly escaped death after being electrocuted while allegedly tampering with a transformer. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, June 23, 2023, when the suspect was apprehended.

The news broke when a resident named Mathew Gonsor Gonet took to Facebook to share details of the incident. Gonet claimed that the suspect and his gang had been involved in vandalizing transformers across various parts of the city, leading to widespread power outages. He expressed relief that one of the culprits had finally been caught, saying, “One of the transformer oil thieves in Jos caught red-handed. This guy and his gang are responsible for the darkness in many parts of Jos.”

Another eyewitness, Joy Umar Ret, shed further light on the situation, explaining that areas including Rayfield had been plunged into darkness for an entire month due to the repeated vandalization of transformers by cable thieves. However, repairs were carried out on Thursday evening, June 22, with the armoured cables replaced and power restored to the affected areas.

Unfortunately for the suspect, luck was not on his side. In the early hours of Friday, around 2 a.m., he attempted to carry out another criminal act on a transformer but ended up being electrocuted. Luckily, security guards on duty near the scene spotted the sparks emitted from the transformer and rushed to his aid. They managed to rescue the suspect, who had sustained injuries from the electrocution.

“In my area, we haven’t had light for the past one month because of theft. During the weekend, the transformer was repaired, but during the repairing process, it was discovered again that the thieves came back to steal the armored cables, so they had to be replaced,” wrote Joy Umar Ret in her account of the incident. “Through all these, our area, Rayfield road/little Rayfield, got electricity at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Today, Friday the 23rd, we woke up to the sight of another transformer thief. Baba came at about 2 a.m. to carry out another mission only to run out of luck this time. He fell into the transformer fence and got electrocuted by the lights. It was in the process of his electrocution that the security guards of houses around heard and saw the sparks from the transformer house. Then the thief was rescued and caught.”