A yet-to-be-identified man has been electrocuted while vandalising electricity equipment belonging to FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited at Ogechukwu Street, Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The suspected cable thief was reportedly operating at a transformer substation in the area and had finished cutting the cable when a heavy explosion occurred, electrocuting him.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
The Head of Communications of FirstPower, Izunna Okafor, who confirmed the incident appealed to residents and community leaders to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities around electricity installations to the company.
According to Okafor, preliminary reports indicate that a heavy explosion was recorded at a transformer substation within the area.
Upon further assessment, it was discovered that the explosion resulted from unlawful tampering with FirstPower’s electricity network infrastructure by a suspected vandal dressed in a security uniform. The yet-to-be-identified individual was immediately electrocuted in the process.
The operatives of the Anambra State Police Command were contacted and have since evacuated the corpse from the scene and commenced further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Okafor strongly condemned acts of vandalism and energy theft, which he says continues to undermine efforts to provide a stable and reliable electricity supply to our customers across Anambra State.
“Beyond the significant financial losses and service disruptions caused by such criminal activities, they also endanger the lives of perpetrators and innocent members of the public,” he said.
“FirstPower also uses this medium to once again appeal to residents and community leaders to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities around electricity installations in their vicinity to FirstPower (via 08161652465 WhatsApp or SMS), or to the nearest security agency.
“Protecting power infrastructure is a collective responsibility, and community cooperation remains vital in safeguarding assets meant to serve the public good.
“FirstPower remains committed to delivering safe, efficient, and improved electricity services to our customers. We will continue to work closely with security agencies and stakeholders to curb vandalism and ensure adequate protection of our network facilities.”
