An unidentified young man, has been electrocuted while trying to steal an armoured cable from a transformer in the Mgboaba/NTA area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occured on Thursday about 3 am near a popular new generation church when there was a blackout in the area, the suspect was trapped when the power supply was restored.
An eyewitness said the man was severely burnt with his body turned black, noting that they heard a loud sound at the transformer as soon as the power supply was restored.
He said, “It was around 3am when the transformer sparked with a loud sound. We thought it was the normal sound we hear sometimes.
“But in the morning, when I was going to work, we heard that somebody who went to cut an armoured cable died inside the transformer.
“So, I and some people went there and saw the dead body. All his body was burnt like charcoal.”
Another eyewitness who gave his name as Chika said the man was well-known within the area. According to him, “He used to sell water to people around this area.”
It was gathered that the man’s remains were removed by the police and officials of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company after the residents alerted them to the incident later that day.
