Pascal Arogorn Ibe
A 15-year-old student of Benue State University Technical College, Emmanuel Ameh has been electrocuted in the Achussa community of Makurdi the Benue state capital.
The JSS1 student reportedly met his untimely death owing to the alleged negligence of the staff of Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JED, in Makurdi.
Narrating the incident to newsmen on Thursday, uncle to the diseased, Mr Samuel Olokpo, said the victim who until his death lived with his grandmother, Mr Veronica Odoh at Baver Dzeremo street was killed while rolling up service cables carelessly dropped by officials of JED who visited the neighbourhood to disconnect debtors.
According to Mr Olokpo “On Monday morning, when everybody had gone to work and school, JED staff went to do their round of disconnection of customers who were indebted to the company.
“In the afternoon, some of our neighbours’ kids were playing around the pole and one of them made contact with the wire, his name is Emeka, a little boy of about five years, and was shocked. He ran to Emmanuel who just came back from school to complain, being the most senior at home.
“Emmanuel went to roll up the wires from the ground because when they did the disconnection they left all the wires on the ground. He made contact with the wires and he was electrocuted.
“A neighbour, Jonathan Agi saw what was happening and rushed to the scene, used a dry stick to pushed him away. The other persons came too and they were able to intervene. They cut off the wire that had power.
“He was rushed to the nearby Ushaka Clinic and Bishop Murray Hospital, all in Makurdi, where he was pronounced dead.
“The Police come and helped us conveyed his body to Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary where it as-deposited,” he said.
Mr Olokpo also disclosed that top engineers from the JED office in Makurdi visited on Wednesday to condole with the family over the incident.
Efforts to get the Regional Manager of the JED office in Makurdi, Mr Olaniyi Oluwole failed as his staff who refused to disclose his identity at the Makurdi regional office said his boss was not disposed to talking to newsmen on the incident.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Catherine Anene failed as the call put to her phone was not responded to.
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