Panic swept through Obalende, Lagos, Nigeria, when an unidentified cable thief suffered a horrific death by electrocution while trying to steal from a live transformer platform. The incident occurred near the late Chief Odogwu’s building, next to the Police Microfinance Bank.
In the early morning, residents discovered the thief’s lifeless body, still gripping a vandalized cable, in a chilling tableau. It’s believed he climbed the fence around midnight, not realizing the transformer remained active and was supplying power to parts of the area.
The thief was likely one of the scavengers who roam at night, posing as collectors of empty bottles while targeting government infrastructure for theft. He may have assumed the transformer was inactive due to the demolition of the nearby Obalende Police Barracks—a fatal miscalculation.
When authorities arrived, they found the man carrying a bag filled with tools, beverage cans, and torchlights, clear evidence of his plan to steal. As onlookers gathered, no one could identify him. The incident has sparked calls for the Lagos State Government to crack down on nighttime scavenging and truck pushers, who are seen as key players in the widespread vandalism of public utilities.
