Metro

OAU Student Electrocuted While Retrieving Ball

Published

5 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

BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue

Published

20 hours ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Lifeless bodies of the eight policemen who were declared missing after a deadly attack on security operatives at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, have been recovered.

Dr Justin Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA disclosed this to reporters in Makurdi on Monday.

According to him, “this brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG)”.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, when a team of security operatives came under the attack of armed invaders.

Three personnel were immediately confirmed dead while eight others were declared missing.

Metro

Police Arrest Three Kidnappers Over ₦6.9m Ransom, Victim’s Murder

Published

21 hours ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed one of their victims after collecting N6.9 million ransom.

The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed this in a statement issued on Monday.

Iringe-Koko identified the suspects as Hassan Mohammed (20) of Wandigah Town, Mandagali, Borno State; Bello Abubakar (25) of Roundabout Maura, Sokoto State; and Yusuf Ahmed (23) of Hazari LGA, Bauchi State.

She said the arrests followed an investigation into the abduction of Humphrey Wagbara of Igwuruta-Atali.

According to the PPRO, the suspects also kidnapped one Mercy Chinyere on September 12, 2025, at the same location, where they also collected a ransom of N3,500,000 before releasing her.

The statement read, “On 26th August, 2025, the Rivers State Police Command received a distressing report, suggesting the kidnapping of one Humphrey Wagbara, m of Igwuruta-Atali.

“Operatives of the Command attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU), Emohua Annexe, acting on this information and in a daring and coordinated operation on 19th September, 2025, at about 0200hrs arrested three suspects at different locations in Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of the State in connection with the kidnapping of the victim.”

Iringe-Koko said during interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnappings in the State.

Among their past kidnappings are those of Onwuli Jude and Nwabueze Nchekwube on September 24, 2025, at School Road, Igwuruta-Atali, where they collected a ransom of N6,900,000 before killing the victim.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one G-3 rifle with Breech Number 10398, one magazine, one Itel phone belonging to Humphrey Wagbara, a kidnapped victim, three short daggers, one jack knife and one stainless short knife,” Rivers police imagemaker said.

Iringe-Koko added that the suspects and exhibits remain in police custody while detectives track other fleeing members of the syndicate and search for additional weapons.

The Command said it arrested a 48-year-old man, Emmanuel George, for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

According to Iringe-Koko, George committed the offence on September 6, 2025, after luring the minor while she was sent on an errand by her aunt.