Tongues
have started to wag on the motive behind the sudden electrocution of
two workers of the Ikeja Distributioin Company which we gathered
happened twice in a strange circumstances. Residents of Kogberegbe
Street, in the Isolo area of Lagos State say they have yet to recover
from the shock of watching two officials of the Ikeja Electric being
electrocuted by high-tension cables.
The
residents blamed the electricity distribution company, saying
something was fishy about the incident.
They
also called for an immediate investigation and prosecution of
suspects, urging that the victims’ families be adequately
compensated.
It
was gathered
that the two electricity workers had arrived at the area on Wednesday
around 2pm to install a transformer in the community.
The
first worker, identified as Aloma, was said to have mounted the high
tension pole after a telephone call had been made to the office that
power should be switched off.
It
was gathered that as the victim worked, power was suddenly restored
in the area.
A resident, Ololade Ultimate, said Aloma was electrocuted immediately, adding that he spent about one hour on the pole.
He
said, “Aloma and his colleagues were not on an illegal duty. They
came with the transformer which they wanted to install in the area.
“Aloma
made a call to their office that they were about to start working and
power was switched off.
“Five
minutes after Aloma climbed the pole, power was restored and he was
electrocuted.”
The
victim’s hand, along with the safety gloves, was reportedly cut off
by the voltage.
Another
resident, Ibrahim Kazeem, said Aloma’s colleague, Bode, made a call
to the office to alert them of the incident.
After
waiting for about one hour without anyone showing up, Bode was
reported to have called the office again, informing them of his plan
to remove the corpse of his colleague.
“They
switched off the power again, and Bode climbed the pole. By this
time, there was a crowd on the street. Women were crying, some people
were shouting; there was confusion everywhere.
“Bode climbed up the ladder and started loosening the strap around Aloma’s waist to bring him down.
“He
was there for just few minutes when power was restored again. He was
electrocuted as well,” Kazeem added.
It
was gathered that Bode fell off the pole onto the roof of a Christ
Apostolic Church after power went off yet again.
He
was said to have finally landed on the ground, breaking his neck.
“He
was soaked in blood,” a witness said.
Adewale
Solesi, another witness, said Bode was rushed to the Isolo General
Hospital, but was rejected. He was then transferred to the Gbagada
General Hospital for treatment.
A
third official was reportedly sent from the office, who then safely
removed Aloma’s corpse.
A
tailor, Mrs. Amzat Olabisi, said residents were thrown into mourning
over the incident.
“Everybody
was in tears. It is obvious that somebody was behind what happened to
those men. We learnt that they were not the ones that were supposed
to do the job, but somebody asked them to go there. The power was
just coming on and off, as if it was somebody’s toy. This was not
ordinary,” she added.
Dimeji
Ogunlade called for a thorough investigation into the case and
punishment of those found wanting in the discharge of their duties.
The
Principal Manager, Public Affairs, Ikeja Electric, Olusola Ayeni,
when contacted by our correspondent, said every official of the
company knew the company’s protocol when going for an assignment.
He
also said it was not possible for the company to get to the scene of
the incident immediately it got an alert that the officials were
electrocuted.
However,
when our correspondent asked why the victims were electrocuted
despite telling the office about their plan to start working on the
high-tension cables, the line went dead.
Ayeni
had since not picked his calls, despite repeated attempts .
The
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said investigation
was ongoing into the incident, adding that the police did not suspect
any foul play.
She
said, “The police were involved in the rescue of the workers. While
one died immediately, the second man is recuperating in a hospital.
We are not looking at if anybody did it deliberately, but
investigation is ongoing. If we find any foul play, we will make it
public.”
No comments:
Post a Comment