Tragedy struck at Mowe Market in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State as no fewer than three persons including a mother and child, were reportedly electrocuted.

The incident reportedly happened on Monday following the restoration of power after the Sunday downpour.

The Chairman of the Local Government, Ambassador Adesina Ogunsola, during his visit to the market on Wednesday gave a seven-day notice to all the traders with shops and stalls under the high-tension powerline to vacate to forestall the recurrence of the tragic incident.

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An eyewitness said that the electric shock was from the step-down transformer suspended on an electrical pole next to the shop where the incident happened, just as the shop owners arrived for their daily sales in the market.

The woman and her son were said to have been burnt beyond recognition.

The Director of Information at the Obafemi Owode Local Government, Segun Soneye, confirmed the incident to our Correspondent on Thursday

Soneye, in a statement, blamed the incident on the erection of shops made of iron under the powerline by the traders.

He said, “The chairman of the council had visited the affected shop owners and commiserated with them over the incident.

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“The LG boss has already given shop owners a seven-day ultimatum to evacuate their make-shift shops built under the high tension powerline to forestall the recurrence of the incident.”

Speaking during his visit to the market, Ogunsola who commiserated with the families of the victims, also blamed the incident on the nonchalant attitude of the.

The LG boss wondered why people would disregard safety rules and have their shops close to electrical poles that carry step-down transformers.

Ogunsola, while giving the vacation order to the traders with shops and stalls under the powerline, said, “Let me also say that everyone that has extended its shop beyond where it should be, particularly those under high-tension cables should start removing it from today.”

The police spokesman, Omolola Odutola, also confirmed the incident but said only the mother, Ujuwa Okechukwu, died from the incident.

Tragedy struck at BrickHall Schools located in the Cadastral Zone B11, Kaura in Abuja on Wednesday, when a four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke, died during the school’s feeding hours.

According to the death certificate dated April 24, 2024, issued by Excel Specialist Hospital, Abuja, which was sighted by our correspondent, Ovoke was brought to the hospital by his teachers around 11 am in an unconscious state.

The medical report, signed by Dr. Akinwande Ajayi, on behalf of the medical director, indicated that he was brought in, “on account of aspiration on meat while feeding at school.”

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The hospital said upon examination, the medical team found that the boy’s pupils were fixed and dilated, with a nonreactive response to light.

His peripheral pulses were said to be “impalpable, blood pressure was unrecordable, and there was no cardiopulmonary activity or respiratory excursions, silent chest.”

The report indicated that all efforts of the medical team to resuscitate him failed.

The report concluded that he was “Brought in Dead.”

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It was learnt that the parents of the deceased, suspecting foul play, have contacted a lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, to handle the case on their behalf.

Adeyanju confirmed the development to our correspondent on Thursday.

Attempts to get the reaction of the school authorities as of the time of filing this report have not yielded any fruit.

The school has yet to respond to an email sent to its known email address.

The PUNCH correspondent also called and sent messages to the Head of School, Gloria Ijezie, to get the school’s reaction.

However, these efforts proved abortive as the calls to her line were redirected, and the messages sent to her as of press time remained unanswered.

Details later…

A downpour on Wednesday night wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, resulting in extensive damage to the facility and facilitating the escape of 118 inmates.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Adamu Duza, on Thursday.

Duza noted that the downpour caused severe damage to the custodial centre’s infrastructure, including a breach in the perimeter fence, which allowed the inmates to flee.

In response, the NCoS swiftly activated its recapturing protocols, collaborating with other security agencies to recover 10 of the escaped inmates.

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Efforts to recapture the remaining fleeing inmates are said to be ongoing.

Recognising the vulnerability of aging facilities, many of which were built during the colonial era, Duza acknowledged that the NCoS was committed to modernising its infrastructure.

The statement further noted that the Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Francis John, assured the public that the situation was under control and urged them to carry on with their daily activities without fear.

The public was encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or sightings of escaped inmates to the nearest security agency.

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The statement read in part, “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, April 24, 2024, has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centres, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying parts of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of 118 inmates of the facility.

“The service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.

“The service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak. The Service is making frantic efforts to ensure that all aging facilities give way to modern ones.”

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“The Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Francis John, wishes to assure the public that the service is on top of the situation and that they should go about their normal businesses without fear or hindrance,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the United States has underscored the significant challenge of overcrowding in Nigerian prisons.

The US, according to its ‘2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria,’ published on its website on Tuesday, noted that numerous correctional facilities were grappling with a staggering 50 per cent increase in the number of inmates beyond their intended capacity, revealing a systemic issue.

Furthermore, it disclosed that a notable proportion of these prisons, some with histories dating back 70 to 80 years, faced difficulties in meeting even the most fundamental standards of living.