A suspected cable thief met his end after he was electrocuted while attempting to steal power cables from the Etete Injection Substation of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Plc in Benin City.
The suspect was said to have returned to the facility after an earlier raid by his gang, only to be killed by a high-voltage electrical surge during the failed operation.
His body was later evacuated by operatives of the Etete Police Division on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
BEDC’s Head of Branding and Corporate Communications, Mrs. Evelyn Gbiwen, said suspected vandals had invaded the substation on Sunday and made away with several copper cables before returning the following night to continue the theft.
She said the company’s Regional Head, Technical, had placed personnel on alert after the initial attack.
According to Gbiwen, the deceased mistakenly cut what he believed was an earthing cable. Unknown to him, it was a neutral cable connected to the power transformer, triggering a powerful electrical explosion that electrocuted him on the spot.
She described vandalism of electricity infrastructure as a growing menace across BEDC’s franchise states, warning that it disrupts power supply and causes huge financial losses.
Gbiwen appealed to residents living near substations and transformers to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
Also speaking, the Regional Head, Technical, Benin South Region, Engr. Afebogbe Oguezor, said preliminary findings showed the suspects gained access by scaling the facility’s perimeter fence despite existing security measures.
He disclosed that BEDC is considering reinforcing the perimeter with barbed wire and other security measures to prevent future attacks
