A suspected electricity transformer vandal was reportedly burnt to death by a mob after being caught attempting to steal cables from a power installation at Palm Street near Target Junction, Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect, whose identity was yet to be confirmed, was allegedly caught vandalising the transformer and removing armoured cables and other components before residents apprehended him.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a passerby raised the alarm, prompting community members to confront the suspect.
“Someone raised an alarm that a man was tampering with the transformer. People rushed out and caught him with some cables. In the process, the mob attacked him and set him ablaze by the roadside,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Command condemned the act, describing mob justice as illegal.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Eitokpah, said officers received information about the incident but arrived after the suspect had been killed.
“The incident of suspected mob action occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at about 6:30 a.m. at Palm Street by Target Junction. Preliminary information indicates that an unidentified male, alleged to be involved in vandalising a transformer, was apprehended by a mob and subsequently burnt to death before the arrival of the police,” Eitokpah said.
A police patrol team later visited the scene, where the burnt corpse was found in front of the transformer. Items recovered included an old electricity meter box, a piece of copper wire, and electric cables suspected to have been vandalised.
Eitokpah added that local government authorities and environmental health officials were contacted to evacuate the body.
He warned the public against taking the law into their own hands, urging that suspects be handed over to law enforcement for proper investigation and prosecution.
“The Command wishes to state clearly that mob action or jungle justice is illegal and unacceptable. Members of the public are strongly advised to hand over suspects to the police rather than resort to violence,” he said.
Investigations are ongoing to identify those involved in the mob action.
