Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC has brought to our attention inaccuracies surrounding an electrocution accident which happened in Nasarawa recently.
In a recent chat with Mr Oyebode Babs Fadipe, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of AEDC, he revealed that neither Tanko Lawal who died at the School of Health, Angwan NEPA Keffi in Nasarawa State from electrical shocks nor Mr. Mohammed Lawal who invited him but was erroneously described as the deceased by some online and social media platforms were not its staff.
Rather, the deceased – Tanko Lawal and Mr. Mohammed Lawal who invited him to restore electricity were unauthorized persons who illegally went on the AEDC facility in the compound of the school to do a job for which they lack the required expertise and therefore did not take heed of safety rules that are absolutely necessary before working on any electrical circuit.
In a press statement, the Company said the deceased whose name was given as Tanko Lawal was invited by one Mohammed Lawal who up till 2016 was a staff of AEDC to help restore electricity to the school which it lost while students were playing football. From investigations, while the students were playing football, the ball hit the lines, which twisted and this created a fault that led to the dropping of two J&P fuses. In an attempt to restore electricity, one of the students introduced Mohammed Lawal to the authorities of the school who in turn invited the deceased to the school.
AEDC also said that the lines feeding the school was without electricity from AEDC as at the time of the incident and that the victim is suspected to have suffered electrocution as a result of back feeding from the generator of the school. Electricity was only restored to the lines about 4pm on the same day if the incident, which was long after the electrocution which occurred about 11am.
Facts from the investigation also revealed that the deceased on arrival, obtained a steel ladder from the school and climbed the pole to close back the J&P fuses, which had dropped as a result of the fault created while the students were playing football. While at the top of the pole, he managed to close the J&P fuses but made contact with cable that was apparently charged by electricity from the generator while he was trying to come down.
While the death of the deceased is regrettable, AEDC said the incident has brought back the need to further emphasise the need for unauthorized persons to stay away from electrical equipment since they are ill-equipped to deal with such situations. It is also important to state here that even if they have worked with the utility and have acquired expertise but are no longer staff, they are not authorised to have any contact with any property of AEDC anywhere especially the ones carrying electricity as they are no longer authorised persons who can be allowed to request for permission to open an existing circuit for safe working space.
