"Hold Ikeja Electric responsible for electrocuted worker," colleagues fume, allege sabotage

Co-workers of an electricity worker who was electrocuted while working on a power pole said Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IE) should be held responsible for their colleague’s death.

The victim and another colleague were, Wednesday, working on the electric pole when power suddenly came on.

“We usually get approval from IE before doing this kind of work,” a colleague told newsmen.

“We got permission this time, and the power was cut. We were surprised to see the electricity suddenly came back on.”

“One of the workers was able to jump from the height of that pole to escape being electrocuted. He was not using any belt so he was able to jump.”

Reports say the man sustained serious injuries from the apparently life-saving jump. He is now receiving treatment in hospital.

“The other worker could not jump because, as safety procedure demands, he already strapped himself to the pole with a belt. He was electrocuted.”

IE had announced earlier it would cut power supply to some areas in Ikeja. It said it was upgrading some of its electricity installations.

It is unclear if there is any connection between this tragedy and the upgrade IE announced.

IE is yet to respond to the allegations of sabotage, or clarify whether the tragedy was connected to the upgrade.

The Wednesday tragedy happened opposite the Police College in Ikeja area of Lagos.

Lagos police spokesperson Nwosu Kenneth confirmed the accident to Newsroom, Thursday morning.

“One person was confirmed dead,” he said.

“Another person was seriously injured, he said.