Tragedy struck at Isaiah Morah Close in Awka, the Anambra State capital, as a three-year-old girl was electrocuted by a fallen high-tension cable belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
The heartbreaking incident occurred on Saturday, May 24, 2025, after the child unknowingly stepped on the live cable while returning from a nearby compound where she had gone to fetch water. The little girl, who lived with her mother in a partly completed and abandoned building, was confirmed dead after being rushed to Awka Medical Centre.
According to residents, the cable had fallen the previous day, Friday, and repeated efforts to get the power company to fix it were unsuccessful. Locals said officials from EEDC allegedly demanded ₦30,000 before repairs could be done. Despite payment, they failed to show up until after the tragedy.
A resident, Uche, who spoke to journalists, said, “The electric cable fell on Friday and was only fixed on Sunday after the child died. It was reported in our WhatsApp group, and a team from the power company was sent, but they couldn’t locate the place and returned to their office.”
He added that the deceased girl was electrocuted while stepping over the fallen wire. “When the other children saw what happened, they screamed. Adults rushed out, pulled her off carefully and took her to the hospital, but she had already died,” he recounted.
The incident has triggered outrage among residents, who accused the electricity company of negligence and blamed its slow response for the child’s death.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command had not received any official report on the matter.
Similarly, the Communication Manager of the EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, told reporters that he had not been briefed on the incident and would have to make inquiries before responding.
The community is now mourning the loss of the child, with many calling on relevant authorities to investigate the matter and hold those responsible accountable for their inaction.
