The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old transformer vandal after he was found unconscious and severely burnt while vandalising a transformer in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, identified as Nnaji Chidiebere, was discovered inside a transformer along Ogbaike Road, Obollo-Afor, on August 17, 2026, after suffering multiple electrical burns.
The incident was disclosed in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Tuesday.
According to Ndukwe, community members alerted the police after discovering the suspect trapped inside the transformer at about 2:20 p.m.
Following the report, operatives of the Udenu Police Division immediately mobilised to the scene and found Chidiebere unconscious with various degrees of burns.
He was evacuated to a nearby hospital, where he was resuscitated before being referred to a specialist hospital for further treatment.
The police said the suspect, after regaining consciousness, identified himself as Nnaji Chidiebere and told investigators that he had been alone at the scene.
Ndukwe said preliminary investigations had linked the suspect to transformer vandalism in the area, while further investigation was ongoing to determine the extent of his activities and identify possible accomplices.
The Police Public Relations Officer said the suspect would be prosecuted upon completion of the investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended residents for promptly alerting the police, noting that their intervention enabled officers to respond quickly, rescue the suspect and commence investigations.
Giwa urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information on suspicious activities around electricity infrastructure and other critical public facilities.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring that individuals involved in vandalism are brought to justice.
