A tragic incident occurred in Lagos state, resulting in the mourning of a family after their 17-year-old son, Fawaz Oseni, was electrocuted while playing football with his friends at their residence on Lawal Street, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, on May 26.
According to a report by Guardian, Fawaz and his friends were engaged in a game when the ball accidentally landed on the roof of a nearby house. In an attempt to retrieve the ball, the SSS 3 student suffered an electrocution. Investigations revealed that the incident might be attributed to illegal electrical connections in the area. It was observed that electricity testers placed on the wall indicated the presence of voltage and discharged electric shocks, particularly during rainy periods, without being rectified.
Funmilayo, the grieving mother of the deceased, shared the heartbreaking account of the incident.
“That fateful day was the first time the children played football in the compound. The boys kicked the ball on the rooftop and it got stuck, they carried an aluminum ladder in an attempt to retrieve the ball. My son was shocked while on the ladder and he started crying for help, no one could help him, but someone got there to pull the hand of his friend. His friend, who held the ladder when my son climbed the ladder told me that Fawaz was not putting on shoes when he climbed, but he was wearing one.
When Fawaz’ s younger brother called me and said, ‘Mommy!!! Come and see Fawaz, I ran there and saw them both on the floor. I called for help and neighbours came with water to resuscitate them, but the way I saw him, I knew that he had given up the ghost.
We bought milk and forced it down their throats, while the other boy swallowed his, my son could not. We rushed them to Divine Hospital, where my son was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. That is how I lost my 17-year-old son.”
“The people continue using the light unbothered. The wife of the owner of the house came along with her daughter-in-law; none of the children of the owner of the building came to visit me. My brothers-in-law came around and were angry, they disconnected the light on Sunday, May 28, 2023, and warned them not to reconnect it.”
Upon being contacted, Kola Adesina, the Chairman of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), acknowledged that the incident was not reported to the distribution company. However, he assured that the situation would be addressed. Providing an update on the incident, he stated the following:
“We went there immediately on Monday and we discovered that they have been stealing electricity in that area, there was also wrong connection.”
