Body of suspected vandal discovered beside transformer in Abuja

THE remains of a yet-to-be-identified man were discovered beside a transformer at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, on Friday morning after he allegedly gained access to the facility in an attempt to remove electrical cables.

The chairman of Trademore Estate, Ejoh Izuka, told The ICIR staff at the scene that the man was discovered at about 6:30 a.m. after an Okada rider reportedly alerted him about the incident.

“I came out, and I saw the person. The corps is there,” he said.

The ICIR found the remains of a man wearing a red hat, navy-blue jacket, and brown trousers, apparently slumped in a squatting position, with his head resting inside an open transformer enclosure and his hands inside the equipment.

Izuka, said the man’s position and the circumstances in which he was found suggested he may have been electrocuted while attempting to vandalise the transformer, noting that he immediately informed the police.

“I informed the police myself, the DPO of the Voice of Nigeria Estate in Lugbe. And I also called the NEPA office and informed them,” he added.

The estate chairman later explained that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) have removed the corpse, while the police took it away to Gwagwalada mortuary.

He said residents suspected the man could have been among people who sell goods along the road outside the estate, but stressed that the community had not established his identity.

The ICIR reports that the incident highlights a history of alleged vandalism of electricity infrastructure around the estate.

Izuka said transformers serving different sections of Trademore had been vandalised in the past six months, with cables removed from the facilities. He said vandalism had repeatedly plunged residents into darkness for days and forced the community to spend huge amounts to repair damaged infrastructure.

“They have been vandalising our transformer without us knowing. This is the first time Nemesis caught up with them. The last time it happened in my case, we spent almost N400,000 to replace the cable,” he said.

According to him, a transformer near the estate gate was vandalised about six months ago. At the same time, another transformer serving Phase Two was also targeted, and residents subsequently installed wire mesh around the transformer enclosure, secured the gate with a padlock and introduced additional security measures to prevent further access.

“I don’t know how he managed to enter under the fence, how he was able to smuggle himself under the fence. We are even trying to clock that place now that he entered from. The padlock was still there; we had to open the padlock to bring him out,” he said.

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Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, did not provide details on the body found, insisting that the police had received a report of the incident and officers were already working to establish what happened.

However, the Managing Director of AEDC, Chijioke Okwuokenye, confirmed the incident but asked the reporter to await a detailed statement from the company. Okwuokenye said he intended to use the incident to address the persistent vandalism of electricity infrastructure the company has been battling in Abuja.

The ICIR reports that the incident comes amid renewed concerns by electricity regulators and operators over vandalism of power infrastructure across Nigeria.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has identified vandalism, tampering with power assets, faults on distribution and transmission networks, inadequate generation and other factors as leading causes of prolonged electricity outages in some communities.

NERC’s fourth-quarter 2025 report recorded one fatality and two injuries attributed to vandalism among reported transmission-sector casualties during the quarter, noting that it had initiated investigations into reported accidents.

In August 2026, NERC held a regional sensitisation workshop on curbing vandalism of electricity infrastructure, describing the problem as a persistent challenge to the reliability and sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity supply industry.

The Commission said tackling the problem requires stronger collaboration among electricity operators, security agencies, regulators and host communities.

NERC also held a health, safety and environment meeting in Abuja in June 2026, where officials reviewed electricity-sector accidents and strategies for reducing casualties. The Commission identified sensitisation against vandalism of critical power infrastructure as part of its safety initiatives.

AEDC, which distributes electricity in the FCT, has similarly warned residents to report signs of vandalism, including broken transformer fences, missing locks, stolen cables and illegal connections.

The company advises members of the public not to approach damaged electrical infrastructure because of the risk of electrocution.

AEDC also maintains a dedicated channel for reporting vandalism and provides emergency contact numbers for members of the public to report suspected attacks on electricity infrastructure.