Evelyn Usman
01 February 2013, Sweetcrude, Lagos — Tragedy struck, Thursday, in Ikosi area of Lagos, after a high tension wire snapped off a pole, electrocuting a staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria Limited, PHCN, and a security guard.
Also destroyed was a Peugeot 504 vehicle belonging to owner of the compound where the live wire landed, at 34, Aladelola Street, Ketu.
It was gathered that casualty figure would have been higher if not for the residents of the area who were alerted by shout of fire from landlord of the one-storey building, identified simply as Alhaji, at about 5.10 a.m.
But the guard, simply identified as Garuba, who had been working for 30 years there, rushed out of his shed to examine the landlord’s abandoned vehicle that was on fire, but unknown to him, the fire was caused by a high tension wire which dropped on the vehicle.
In Garuba’s attempt to contain the fire, he reportedly packed some sand and unconsciously stepped on the naked wire which electrocuted him.
Eye witnesses also said the PHCN staff, identified as Mr Oshinjirin, rushed out of his flat, when he heard the shout of fire, with a bucket of water, only to also step on the naked wire.
At about 3.30pm, sympathizers were seen in groups, discussing the tragedy.
Widow of the PHCN staff, a pharmacists in Lagos Island, was said to be on call duty the previous day, only to return home Thursday morning to behold the remains of her late husband.
Both victims were said to have been buried while the PHCN staff’s children aged seven, five and two respectively, were said to have been taken to a relative’s place.
