A three-year-old girl, Faiza Mohammed, has been electrocuted by a fallen high tension cable belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Awka, Anambra State.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Isaiah Morah close in Awka, after the cable reportedly snapped and fell on Friday, May 22.
According to local sources, residents had promptly notified EEDC about the fallen cable, but their complaints were allegedly ignored. One resident claimed that EEDC officials demanded N30,000 to fix the problem, and even after the payment was made, they failed to address the issue until after the fatal incident.
"The wire fell on Friday, 22nd May, 2025, and it was only fixed on Sunday, 24th May, 2025, after it had electrocuted the girl," said a local source who preferred to remain anonymous.
Residents were reportedly unaware that the fallen cable was still energized, assuming that EEDC had cut power to the area due to the reported fault.
Two EEDC officials, speaking anonymously, provided conflicting accounts of the company's response. One claimed that a team was dispatched but couldn't locate the site, while another cited the Imo'awka masquerade festival on Saturday as the reason for their delayed response.
Local residents have vehemently rejected these explanations. Mrs. Christiana, a resident of the area, expressed her frustration: "Isaiah Morah is along the Enugu-Onitsha Federal Highway by Udoka Housing Estate. Without exception, all EEDC customers here are on prepaid meters and we have specific officials servicing this area. Our transformer is one of the ones serving Udoka, how could anyone claim that they could not locate here?"
Regarding the masquerade festival excuse, she added, "It is a big fat lie. People weren't harassed, I even attended a wedding at St Joseph the Worker after returning from Eke Awka market. They're lying because they murdered this girl with their negligence."
The victim, Faiza Mohammed, lived with her mother and others in a house under construction in the street. On the fateful day, she went to fetch water, unaware of the danger posed by the energized cable on the ground.
When other children witnessed the electrocution, they raised an alarm. Adults who responded managed to carefully remove her from the cable and rushed her to Awka Medical Center at Udoka gate, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Efforts to reach EEDC officials for an official statement were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the responsiveness and safety protocols of electricity distribution companies in Nigeria, particularly in residential areas where children are vulnerable to such hazards.
