Metro

OAU Student Electrocuted While Retrieving Ball

Published

3 months ago

April 13, 2025

A student at the Distant Learning Centre of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (name not provided) was reportedly electrocuted while retrieving a ball from a compound in Moro, Osun State.

Sources near the scene of the incident said it happened Saturday evening in a private hostel located along the Moro/Ife route.

It was gathered that the deceased had gone to a compound close to his house to retrieve the ball.

After retrieving the ball, he was said to have thrown it to his colleagues and was about to jump over the fence separating his own hostel and the one next to it when he had contact with a high-tension wire, which electrocuted him.

A resident of Moro, who was close to the scene of the incident, told The PUNCH on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment, “The incident happened on Saturday. The deceased was playing football in his hostel with other boys.

“The ball strayed across the fence to the next compound. The deceased volunteered to jump across the fence to retrieve the ball, but accidentally he had contact with a dangling high-tension wire on the fence. The wire was brought down on Friday by the rainstorm.

“He was immediately electrocuted. When his colleagues observed he was not moving, they used a stick to separate him from the wire, and he was rushed down to a private hospital in Ipetumodu. There he was confirmed dead at the facility.”

When contacted, the OAU Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident and condoled the family of the deceased.

Olanrewaju said, “It is unfortunate that we recorded an incident that was not palatable yesterday (Saturday) where we lost a prominent youngster; one of our CDL students who was aspiring to come to the university after the completion of his programme.

“Report had it that they were playing football in the evening and the ball fell into a compound that was fenced and unknown to the young man, he jumped into the fence because he was the one that played the ball into the compound and it was a rule that anybody who played the ball into the compound will go to retrieve it.

“In compliance with the rule, the boy went in there and we were told that, that was the first time the boy would play with them. So, he went in there, retrieved the ball, and threw it out to his colleagues, but when he wanted to come out, he climbed the fence but unknowingly put his hand on a high-tension wire and got electrocuted.

“It was when his colleagues felt he should have come back, that they went to check and saw that he was there shivering. They rushed to him and one of them picked a stick and removed the life wire from his hand. He was rushed to the facility at the Center for Distance Learning at the university.

“They said he was brought in dead and they took him to another hospital where they said the boy was already dead. The Director of the CDL, Professor Femi Koya had already contacted the parents to relate the unfortunate incident to them.”

Metro

Four Dead As 3-storey Building Collapses In Kano

Published

13 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Four persons have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a three-storey building on Abedi Street, Sabon Gari area of Kano State.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening after a downpour that lasted several hours, leading to the building’s collapse and trapping its occupants under the rubble.

Spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif, who confirmed the development, said two other persons sustained injuries while nine others sustained minor injuries.

He said: “As of now, we have rescued 15 people. Four were confirmed dead, two sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Murtala Specialist Hospital, while nine others had minor injuries.

“The rescue operation is still ongoing. We are carefully searching every part of the collapsed structure and evacuating the rubble, as it’s believed that more people may still be trapped inside.”

The rescue operation is carried out by men of the fire fighters, SEMA, NEMA and police among others.

Metro

Gunmen kill community leader in Bayelsa

Published

13 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Suspected gunmen have reportedly killed the Community Development Committee, CDC, chairman of Igbomotoru 1 Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the CDC Chairman, identified as Mr Goodnews Manash, was ambushed at the back of the community’s school compound about 10:30p.m., Sunday, while on his way to a relative’s house.

Confirming the incident, the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Ayibaikie Ofongo, said: “Between 12 midnight and 2a.m., Sunday, somebody from the community called to inform me that gunmen have abducted the CDC chairman of our community.

“It was not until this morning that I got concrete information that the CDC chairman was actually assassinated in the community. I can confirm that he is dead, but we intend to have meetings at the community level before we issue an official statement to the public”

Also reacting , the Press Secretary to the Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, Mr Ayibaetare Easterday, condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

He said: “The story is true but he was not killed in his house. He was killed close to another person’s compound, whom he was going to visit. It is an unfortunate incident and we pray that this kind of thing does not happen again.”

“We are all brothers and sisters, so if we offend one another in the community, we should exercise tolerance and make peace. The incident is not befitting of who we are and its condemnable.”

Metro

Panic As Armed Robbers Kill 2 In Ebonyi

Published

13 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

There was fear and anxiety in Agba community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as a suspected armed robber shot and killed two persons in the community.

The town union president of the community, Mr Sunday Nwadibia, who confirmed the incident said the community has been under siege for some time due to the activities of armed robbers.

He gave the names of the deceased as Sunday Oyibe, a school proprietor, and Chukwu Ebuka.

Nwadibia said the community has been witnessing attacks and robberies since last year, which has led to loss of lives, cash running into millions, and property worth millions of naira.

He revealed that before the killing of Sunday Oyibe and Chukwu Ebuka, the hoodlums attacked a POS operator in the community and dispossessed him of N2.7million.

The town union president, who said the hoodlums usually wear military camouflage with bulletproof vests, also snatched a Toyota Corolla car and five motorcycles from some members of the community when they started operating in the area.

He expressed dismay that their activities have crippled economic activities in the community and urged security agencies to come to the aid of the community.

He said: “I was in my place when people started running because armed robbers were robbing at our junction.

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“So, everybody started looking for safety not knowing that the hoodlums are coming very close to our side in the community.

“Before we could notice it, we heard gunshots me and my workers also started running for safety. The hoodlums advanced to another junction near my house and that junction is called Orie Agba and started operating there and people started running.

“I climbed one upstairs and started watching the hoodlums. They started shooting heavily and approached my office which I had locked already when I noticed their presence in the community.

“They shot one Sunday Oyibe, the founder of Unique International School, who is also the chairman of the timber association in Ishielu. We rushed him to the hospital but he couldn’t make it.

“They shot another person, Chukwu Ebuka who people said was dragging his iPhone with them,” Vanguard quoted him.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the killing of the two persons in the community.

He promised to get the details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ishielu Local Government.

“Yes, I know there was an incident somewhere in Ishielu but I will call the DPO of the area to get more information about it,” he said.