A man suspected of vandalizing a transformer belonging to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) was discovered dead in Eket, Akwa Ibom.
PHEDC’s regional manager, Anthony Etim, confirmed the incident to journalists on Saturday, stating that it occurred around 3:00 a.m. on March 19 at a transformer located on Party House Road in the Ikot Ibiok area.
According to Mr. Etim, the suspect’s lifeless body was found next to the transformer, and residents who gathered at the scene identified him as someone from the Mkpok area of Eket. The police later removed the corpse.
Expressing concern over the frequent vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the area, Mr. Etim noted that such activities had left many PHEDC customers without power.
“We have always urged communities to safeguard their electricity facilities. Vandals are within these neighborhoods, and this incident has vindicated PHEDC officials,” he said.
He clarified that the deceased was not a PHEDC staff member and had no connection to the company.
While he did not provide an exact number of vandalism cases in Eket, Mr. Etim acknowledged that transformer thefts were a persistent issue. He called on customers and community leaders to take responsibility for protecting electrical installations from further attacks.
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