By Ayomide Otitoju
A yet-to-be-identified man has been rescued from an angry mob after allegedly attempting to steal electricity cables from a power pole in Goru village, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday morning when electricity supply was unexpectedly restored while the suspect was allegedly removing cables from the pole, exposing him to an electric shock.
An eyewitness, Malam Usman Goru, said residents woke up to find the man stranded at the top of the pole before learning that he had allegedly climbed it to steal cables during a power outage.
“We woke up in the morning and saw a man on top of an electricity pole. We were told that he had climbed up to steal the cables, but the power supply returned unexpectedly,” Goru said.
He said community elders alerted the police and personnel of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), who arrived at the scene and rescued the injured man.
According to the eyewitness, some residents, angered by the alleged attempt to vandalise electricity infrastructure, gathered to attack the suspect as he was being taken to a hospital.
Police personnel reportedly intervened and dispersed the crowd, preventing the situation from escalating into a possible mob killing.
The suspect was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment for injuries reportedly sustained from the electric shock.
The incident highlights the dangers associated with the alleged vandalisation of electricity infrastructure and the risks of mob violence.
As of the time of filing this report, the suspect’s identity and medical condition had yet to be officially confirmed.
