A three-year-old boy, Chibuike Uba, has died after falling into an uncovered soakaway pit in the Babarinsa area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
The tragic incident happened on Wednesday while Chibuike and his mother, Utoro, were visiting her aunt in the area from their home in Epe.
According to family sources, the child wandered off while his mother was packing their belongings. His aunt, who had stepped outside to receive a phone call, believed the boy had returned inside. But when the mother could not find him, she began searching and soon noticed his slippers lying beside an uncovered soakaway in a nearby, unfenced compound.
The alarm was raised immediately, and Chibuike was pulled out of the pit. He was rushed to a private hospital in the Sapati area and later referred to the General Hospital in Akodo, where doctors confirmed him dead despite efforts to revive him.
The grieving mother blamed negligence for her son’s death. She revealed that her aunt had warned the landlord several times about the open pit, which had been left uncovered despite repeated complaints.
“My aunt had been warning the landlord about the soakaway,” she said. “Even the plank that was once used to cover it was damaged by flood. The soakaway is still open as we speak.”
The incident has caused outrage in the area, with residents calling on landlords and government officials to ensure such hazards are properly covered to avoid future tragedies.