School Of Health Keffi Electrocution: Deceased Person Not Our Staff, Says AEDC

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has explained that the deceased person, one Tanko Lawal and his collaborator, one Mohammed Lawal, are not staff of the company but unauthorised persons tampering on its electrical installations.

It further said that from its investigations, Tanko Lawal who died from electrical shocks at the School of Health, Angwan NEPA, Keffi in Nasarawa State, was invited by Mohammed Lawal to “do a job for which they lack the required expertise and therefore did not take heed of safety rules that are absolutely necessary before working on any electrical circuit.”

The AEDC General Manager, Corporate Communications, Oyebode Fadipe, said in a statement that the duo were unauthorized persons who illegally went on the AEDC facility in the compound of the school to do a job.

He said the deceased whose name was given as Tanko Lawal was invited by one Mohammed Lawal who up till 2016 was a staff of AEDC to help restore electricity to the school which it lost while students were playing football.

According to AEDC, “From investigations, while the students were playing football, the ball hit the lines, which twisted and this created a fault that led to the dropping of two J&P fuses.

” In an attempt to restore electricity, one of the students introduced Mohammed Lawal to the authorities of the school who in turn invited the deceased to the school.”

AEDC also said that the lines feeding the school was without electricity from AEDC as at the time of the incident and that the victim is suspected to have suffered electrocution as a result of back feeding from the generator of the school.

However, electricity was only restored to the lines about 4pm on the ill fated same day of the incident, which was long after the electrocution which occurred about 11am.

“Facts from the investigation also revealed that the deceased on arrival, obtained a steel ladder from the school and climbed the pole to close back the J&P fuses, which had dropped as a result of the fault created while the students were playing football.

“While at the top of the pole, he managed to close the J&P fuses but made contact with cable that was apparently charged by electricity from the generator while he was trying to come down”, said Fadipe.

While the death of the deceased is regrettable, AEDC said the incident has further emphasise the need for unauthorized persons to stay away from electrical equipment since they are ill-equipped to deal with such situations.

It also warned that even if anyone had worked with the company and acquired expertise but were no longer staff, they are not authorised to have any contact with any property of AEDC anywhere especially the ones carrying electricity since they are no longer authorised persons allowed to request for permission to open an existing circuit for safe working space.