Wale JAGUN
Staff of the Ikeja Electicity Distribution Company (IKEDC) attending to the victim on Wednesday
The staff of the Ikeja Electicity Distribution Company (IKEDC) that was electrocuted on Wednesday, May 15, at Club 24 area of Igbogbo in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria, has lost his both arms.
A source within the electricity company, who has access to the victim who is currently admitted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), disclosed this to the THE IMPACT this morning.
The IKEDC staff was electrocuted while attempting to disconnect some houses from the electricity poles in Igbogbo.
The source told our reporter that the victim is now in stable condition but that he has lost his both arms to the tragedy.
“Yes, he is now stable at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) but he has lost his both arms”.
He also promised to keep our reporter posted on the condition of the victim.
Speaking with our reporter on Wednesday, an eye witness stated that the IKEDC team had stormed the area in Igbogbo for mass disconnection of houses from the electricity poles due to residents’ default in paying their electricity bills.
He explained that the electrocuted IKEDC staff had disconnected other cables before the unfortunate incident happened on the other pole while attempting to disconnect the cable of another defaulter.
Mrs Funke, who also spoke with our reporter about the incident, stated:
“They (IKEDC) have been disconnecting houses from the electricity poles in the area when suddenly the power was restored and the staff on the pole was electrocuted.
“He lost one of his hands The arm dismembered from his body and hung on the cable while he fell down from the ladder.
Another resident, who claimed to be at the scene of the incident, told THE IMPACT that the victim was thrown off the ladder when the power was suddenly restored.
“It was a sudden and very unfortunate scenario. His arm caught fire and instantly cut off from his body before he fell to the ground from the ladder.
“The arm hung on the pole while his colleagues and other residents tried to revive him from his unconsciousness”.
Adeoye Adex Shodipe, also speaking to our reporter, stated that the victim was revived at the hospital where he was promptly taken to.
“After the incident, he was taken to the hospital. He was unable to breathe properly but I pray he survives . But the truth is that even if he survives, his hands might not be useful to him again because one of them had already cut off and hung on the livewire with the spanner that he was holding.
“Also, his left hand is completely dried off coupled with the fact that he was thrown off the ladder by the power surge’’, Shodipe said.
