Mob sets suspected transformer vandal ablaze in Calabar

A suspected electricity transformer vandal was reportedly set ablaze by a mob in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.

The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at about 6:30 a.m. at Palm Street by Target Junction in Calabar South Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses said the suspect, an unidentified man believed to be in his 30s, was allegedly caught while trying to steal armoured cables and other materials from a transformer located at the junction.

The transformer supplies electricity to residents of Palm Street, Ededem Street, Target Road, Academy Road and nearby areas.

According to residents, the man was spotted while attempting to tamper with the transformer before people in the area raised the alarm, attracting others to the scene.

The crowd reportedly descended on the suspect, accusing him of vandalising the electricity facility that serves several streets in the neighbourhood.

The incident has raised fresh concerns among residents over the increasing cases of transformer vandalism and the growing trend of jungle justice in some communities.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspect was apprehended after someone raised an alarm.

“Someone raised the alarm and a group of people came out. He was apprehended and beaten by the mob before he was set ablaze by the roadside,” the eyewitness said.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the mob had already carried out the act before police officers arrived at the scene.

According to him, the incident occurred on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at about 6:30 a.m. at Palm Street by Target Junction in Calabar.

“Preliminary information indicates that an unidentified male, alleged to be involved in vandalising a transformer, was apprehended by a mob and burnt to death before the arrival of the police,” he said.

Eitokpah explained that a police patrol team was immediately deployed to the scene after receiving the report, where the burnt corpse was found in front of the transformer.

Items recovered at the scene included an old electricity meter box, a piece of copper wire and electric cables suspected to have been removed from the transformer.

He added that the local government authorities and environmental health officials had been contacted to evacuate the corpse.

The police spokesperson condemned the act, warning that mob action, also known as jungle justice, is illegal.

“The command wishes to state clearly that mob action is illegal and unacceptable. Members of the public are advised to hand over suspects to the police for proper investigation and prosecution rather than take the law into their own hands,” he said.

He added that an investigation had commenced to identify those involved in the mob action.

“Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” he added.

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