11-Yr-Old Girl Killed By Fallen Electric Cable

An 11-year old pupil of Ogundimu Primary School, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, Chioma Nwaonumah has been electrocuted on her way from school.
The incident happened on Kayode Street. The victim was rushed to Pacific Hospital where doctors confirmed her dead on arrival and her sorpse was taken to the mortuary for autopsy.

The primary four pupil was living with her aunt and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Biachi, before the tragedy occurred.

According to an eye witness, Chioma was coming back from school in company of her friends along the street and was about to fall when she held a pole bearing the street name, not knowing that live electric cable the youths of the area used for electrification during the last carnival had fallen on the pole and as soon as she held onto the pole she was electrocuted.

Mr. Biachi, who was distraught when the reporter called at his residence at 17, Adelaku Street, Obawole, on Thursday, said Chioma was loved by everybody.
Teachers and pupils of Ogundimu Primary School besieged his residence on Wednesday to condole the family on the tragic incident.

Biachi declined to speak further on the incident as sympathisers continued to troop to his residence.
Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government also sent some officials to commiserate with the family of the girl.
While reacting to the incident, the former Chairman of Ifeoluwa Ogundimu Community Development Association, Pa Michael Ojo, said it was an avoidable tragedy, adding that the poor state of the street is of serious concern to residents of the community.


He said contract for the reconstruction of the street and the drainage system was awarded some years back but the job was abandoned half way and now the street is worse than before the contract was awarded.
Ojo said all efforts to make the contractor complete the job have proved abortive as the engineer continues to tell the community that he would finish the job without matching his promise with any action.
He decried the action of the contractor, saying the community has suffered untold hardship as a result of the bad condition of the street which is no longer motorable.

Also speaking on the development, Pastor Ogunkoya Olarewaju said the community had sent people to Ifako-Ijaiye Local Governmen to request that the work is completed to avoid the kind of tragedy that had just happened.