ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A man whose identity is still unknown, has been electrocuted while trying to cut high tension cable at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, the capital of Anambra State.
It was gathered that the incident occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday, 12 September, around the Faculty of Education building, close to the Department of Economics of the university.
The Nation reports that the deceased had almost succeeded in cutting the tension cable when power was suddenly restored by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and got him electrocuted.
A source in the institution who pleaded anonymity said the deceased body was discovered by students suspended on the pole.
The source said: “We came in the morning and found the body suspended from the electric pole at a transformer point in the area of the new Faculty of Education building, close to the Department of Economics.
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“From what we saw, he was almost done cutting a high-tension cable before electricity was restored and he got electrocuted.”
Officials of EEDC, those of the Safety Department of the institution and policemen were seen retrieving the suspect’s lifeless body from the electric pole where he was suspended, as of the time of filing this report.
The incident is coming barely a week after another man was electrocuted in a similar circumstance at a transformer in Amawbia, near Awka town.
The deceased reportedly stormed the area with members of his gang to vandalize electrical wire installations at the transformer in front of a hotel.
A resident said: “While taking advantage of the 4-day power outage that affected Awka to carry out the act, luck ran out of the man as the light was restored at midnight and he was electrocuted.”
The UNIZIK incident, was confirmed by the Chief Safety Officer of the institution, Ken Chukwuma. He said the deceased was neither a student nor staff of the university.
“He wanted to take advantage of a power outage and climbed the pole to cut some wire. While doing that, the light was restored and he was electrocuted. Police came and invited the EEDC officials who assisted in bringing him down. The body had been deposited at the morgue, but nobody has come for identification“, added.