UNILAG Tragedy: Female student "electrocuted" while returning from fellowship

We saw her, watched her, but could not go near to save her. We were afraid because it just rained and everywhere was wet.

The light showers that fell on Tuesday night did not bring blessings to the University of Lagos. They brought death.

Minutes after the not-too-heavy-rain subsided, a female student was walking along the frontage of UNILAG’s New Hall hostels when death grabbed her, eyewitnesses told Newsroom.

“The lady was walking along when a wire from an electric pole suddenly got loosed after a very noisy and bright spark,” a student who does not want to be named told Newsroom on Tuesday night.

The lady has been identified as Oluchi Anekwe. She was a 300-Level student of Accounting in UNILAG.

Anonymous sources told Newsroom Oluchi was returning from a Christian gathering when the unfortunate incident happened.

Some students said she was not dead but was “responding to life,” a report later found to be incorrect.

“It was not a small thing at all. It was like the pole practically blew up. My friends in the New Hall hostels said they saw the spark.”

“The girl was standing in a pool of water. The naked wire fell on her. She was vibrating all over. We didn’t know if she was struggling to free herself of if it was the electricity that was tossing her about.

“This occurred for several minutes. We saw her, watched her, but could not go near to save her. We were afraid because it just rained and everywhere was wet.

“Calls had to be made to the authorities to cut power. It was after they interrupted the electricity that the lady was rushed to UNILAG medical center where she died.”

Another student told Newsroom the loosed electric cable did not fall directly on the deceased.

“She was actually under the electric pole when it sparked,” a male student told Newsroom.

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“She tried to run away from the spot when she mistakenly stepped on the fallen cable,” he said.

The tragedy happened at about 7:00 p.m on Tuesday night.

Students said it occurred at the exact spot a male student of UNILAG was shot dead by suspected cultists on Valentine’s Day four years ago.

Other eyewitnesses told Newsroom the school authorities did not seal off the area on time to prevent students from stepping on the deadly power cable. But they did confirm electricity supply was cut.

“I saw my fellow students diverting people away from the spot,” another male student told Newsroom late Tuesday night.