The night of June 20, 2013 will forever remain a dark moment for residents of Gwagwa-Tasha in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This was the day when three families, comprising of six persons were electrocuted. throwing many of the residents in the area into mourning.
According to an eyewitness, the incident was caused by an electric spark, resulting from bad connections, which is believed to have occurred at the same time, involving the two families living about one kilometre from each other.
LEADERSHIP WEEKEND gathered that the victims of the electrocution include, Rufus Emeh, Happiness Emeh, Taye Sanusi, Adija Sanusi, Mamuna Sanusi and Gemene Nge. Rufus and Happiness were husband and wife, before their untimely death. The Sanusi family comprise Taye, the husband and his wife, Adija, including their first daughter, Maimuna. Then Gemene Nge, who lived in the same compound with the Sanusi family, also died in the incident.
An investigation conducted by our reporter revealed that trouble started when they noticed an electric spark from one of the connections in their houses. It was gathered that when the late Taye Sanusi noticed that there was a spark, he quickly moved to disconnect the wires, while at the same time holding onto a television pole standing in front of their two-room apartment. However, unknown to him that the television pole was also touching the zinc that had been charged due to the electric spark, he was instantly electrocuted. The wife then rushed to assist him, but was equally killed, and as their first daughter saw them glued to each other, she tried to separate them, but was also killed in the process.
Further investigation showed that it was the same process of leaning or touching a television pole during the electric spark that killed both Rufus Emeh and his wife on that fateful day, leaving behind their children. Also Gemene Nge died in the same manner, leaving behind his wife and a two-year-old daughter.
The assistant general manager (public affairs), Abuja Electricity Distribution Company of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Debo Adegoke told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that a stormy rainfall that occurred on that night caused the incident.
“What led to the incident is the occurrence of nature, which both the victims and us here do not have any control over, because that same night there was a stormy rainfall. So the storm caused a high tension line to snap and fall on a low tension line. This therefore resulted in excessive high tension voltage, which touched the iron roofing of those houses resulting in the deaths. So any slight touch with that kind of voltage would certainly cause what we saw that day. That is why I said neither we nor the victims caused the storm”
Confirming the incident, Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Gwagwa Police Divisional headquarters, Okeren Famous explained that the incident is strange in the area. He noted that based on report, the incident occurred at the same time and through the same process. DCO Okeren noted that there are lots of bad connections in the area, adding that such bad connections could easily trigger electric sparks and shocks like the one that happened.
“It was a bad and unusual incident in this part of the federal capital territory. This incident, according to the report, happened in the same way and at the same period. It is funny and dangerous the way some electrical connections are done in this area. This must have been responsible for the electric sparks that caused the deaths”.
Adegoke explained that PHCN has in the past, advised people not to place or erect anything like iron television poles, or even life trees, in front of their houses, that could conduct electricity but that such counsel have always fallen on deaf ears.
He stated that even though the company tries to check illegal connections in many home, through disconnections, many of the consumers are not helping matters by illegally reconnecting the wires and tampering with the company’s electric lines.
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