Power transformer thief electrocuted in Ibadan

A suspected power station vandal has died when his gang hit a 500KVA transformer sub-stations with intent to steal from the facility at Irepodun Local Government Area Headquarters, Ede. Also in Ibadan, a robber was caught while trying to steel cables with other accomplices at a power station. Both incidents happened within the network of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.

The IBEDC has a franchise area that cuts across Ogun, Oyo,Osun and Kwara states and parts of Ekiti, Kogi and Niger states.

In the Irepodun sub-station, the vandals tripped off power supply to Ede water works 33KV line but during the operation, IBEDC attempted to restore electricity to the feeder, which resulted in the electrocution of one of the trespassers.

Publicity Manager, IBEDC, Tokunbo Peters, said that feeder pillar and armoured cables were recovered from the robbery scene in Ibadan and that both cases have been reported at the Oyo State Police Command.

He said, 'The activities of cable thieves and power station vandals are the reasons behind the power outage presently being experienced by our customers in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa and Omu-Aran and parts of Ikirun Business Units. In Ibadan, the power outage was as a result of a fault on a 150MVA Transformer at the Transmission Company of Nigeria sub-station at Osogbo.'

He urged customers in the franchise area of IBEDC to keep watch over their neighbourhood power infrastructures and safe guard them from vandalism.