From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Tragedy struck at the traditional area of Lokoja, the Kogi state capital on Sunday following the electrocution of a 12 year old Malama Ramatu Mohammed.
Eye -witness account stated that the incident occurred while she was trying to pass a sachet of pure water to a customer through a hole of a viewing center.
Reports said that the ugly incident could have been averted if the owner of the center identified simply as Babanladi had heeded to the warning about a naked wire hanging on the window of the center.
Residents who spoke of the incident said that Babanladi deliberately left the naked wire on the window to prevent intruders from watching football matches.
Consequently residents staged a protest on Monday, condemning the death, and lamenting that all their warnings in the past was ignored by Babanladi.
The wire, according to someone who was inside the center, had electricity running through it and people’s bodies kept rubbing on it each time they are inside the viewing center.
When the incident occurred, many of the passionate football lovers who were in the building at about 4.00 watching Egypt versus South Africa match ran out.
Narrating the incident, friend of the deceased and a food seller, Habibat Ibrahim, told our correspondent, that “Ramatu and I were seated together where I sell rice when someone asked her to bring pure water to the viewing center. Having waited for her to come back, she did not. I had to trace her to the viewing center where I saw her hanging on the window. I called her. As she refused to answer my call, I then noticed that something must have gone wrong to her. I then shouted and called for assistance. Some men came around and removed her hands from a naked wire. As the men noticed that she was already dead, they covered her with cloth.”
Also speaking, another eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Bala, said, “We have been complaining of the way Babanladi is treating viewers in the center. We warned him of the nicked wire he connected to the window but he refused to disconnect it.
A young man who described himself as Salisu recounted, “I was inside the building when we heard a shout and all off us ran outside only to see a lady lying dead beside the window.
Awushetu Muhammed, mother of the late Ramatu Muhammed, in a chat with our correspondent called on relevant authorities to bring Babanladi to book for connecting a nicked wire on the window of the viewing center, which she stated was a public place.
The Kogi State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Busari who confirmed the incident said that the owner of the viewing center ran away after the incident and have been declared wanted.
“Yes, we are aware about the incident, and we are investigating, we are also after the owner of the center who ran away after the incident, but we are confident that he will not be on the run for ever, we will soon get him to face the full wrath of the law,” he added.
