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• Families of power surge victims in Jos seek compensation
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
Communities of Gada-Biu, Kanbong and Angwan Mata in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State will not forget in a hurry the evil of Saturday, October 14, 2023, when facilities of the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) Company collapsed and electrocuted their loved ones.
It was hell on earth, said Helen Kirnan, daughter of one the victims, Madam Christiana Peter, popularly known as Mai Nama, around Gada Biu. Her husband had earlier passed on in 2011 after a protracted illness.
Helen told Daily Sun that her mother was electrocuted when she wanted to remove her phone from its charging point that faithful night, leaving behind three of them, all females, as orphans.
Helen, second daughter of the victim, accused the power company for not turning off power despite realizing the high voltage and sparks from its facilities for over an hour, leading to the number of casualties recorded.
“That faithful day, our mother heard people’s voices upon the spark outside our street. She rushed out and later realized that she left her phone inside and went back to remove her phone.
“Our mother rushed in and removed her shoes. She entered the room and held her phone, trying to remove it. That was how she was electrocuted and fell down.
“When my elder sister did not see our mother, she went to check on her and saw our mother on the floor already electrocuted. The floor was vibrating, that was how our mother was rushed to the hospital but she couldn’t make it,” she said.
The electricity distribution company is now in the eye of the storm, a situation that took stakeholders to calm members of the community from descending on their personnel and facilities, as Helen said they were responsible for the death of their mother.
“This power people (JED) should be held responsible for this because, when it happened, they didn’t take off power. There was power, they allowed it to electrocute people before they siezed power.
“Assuming that when this happened they immediately they cut power, it would not have been this bad. As it is, many of us lost our loved ones. Look at us now, we have become orphans. We don’t have a father, we don’t have mother now. Our father died in 2011.
“Our mother has been the one struggling to cater for us. She used to sell meat outside our street. We are tenants here and, with this, who is going to help us out?
“The year is rounding off and the landlord will be asking for his rent. I don’t know how we are going to do it. That is why this electricity distribution people must be held responsible. I need justice for my mother seriously. I’m very bitter about this; it is not easy for me,” she said.
Mr. Dauda Danbaba, who was at the funeral of Mrs. Christiana Peter, noted that the incident could have been more devastating if it were in the rainy season. He faulted the power company for not being in control of the incident upon realizing high voltage was being let loose.
He said: “If it where during rainy season and the high tension wire fell to the ground, anywhere there is water and you step on the water, it will shock you.
“When the high tension wire fell that day, the ground was vibrating. Some people, as a result of trying to open their doors to escape, because it was an iron door, were electrocuted.
“Some people wanted to switch off their fridge and were electrocuted. The other man and his younger sister went to put off their fridge and were electrocuted. The sister felt she should help her elder brother and she tried to pull him out. She too was electrocuted. All of them died.
“This JED people must be careful and give utmost attention to their facilities. Since they know that power can come as over-current, before it causes any problem those working in that unit should be able to know when the power is over-current. Where were they when the high voltage occurred?”
Another victim, Mr. Cheke Sunday Onwuka, whose shop was badly affected at Gada-Biu, said he lacked a place to go, as goods worth millions of naira were burnt to ashes by the high voltage. The father of four said his family was currently being catered by his wife who hawks food to support the family.
“I am into provisions, cosmetics and drinks business. This thing really hit me bad. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, someone called me around 4:30am, saying that my shop was on fire, and when I came, I saw that everything had been razed.
“I lost so many things here: two deep freezers, generators, aside the goods. I just came back from market on Friday and then this thing happened Saturday morning. Goods here were worth millions of naira,” he said.
It was observed that other shops were affected but his own was the most hit. Onwuka appealed to public-spirited ndividuals and government to come to his aid.
“I am appealing to government and good-spirited individuals to come to my aid. I don’t know where to start from. I just rely on people now, some will come and give me N200, some will give me N500 to buy something for my family. Some give me words of encouragement. I have a wife with four children. My wife is just a petty trader, she hawks food.
” I see it as double wahala for us, we rely on her for feeding. School has resumed for almost a month now and we pleaded with them to give me small time to offset the school fees of my children.
“But with this now, I really don’t know. The JED people have come and picked my name. I don’t know where they stand now. They said they will call us but it is more than one week now and we have not heard anything from them.”
Head of corporate communications, JED Plc, Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah, told Daily Sun that a committee has since been constituted and is currently working in conjunction with the communities carrying out investigation to established the remote causes of the unfortunate incident.
“We have taken over the medical bills of those affected in hospitals. We have visited the affected families twice. And we are waiting for the outcome of the investigation for any other thing,” he explained.
The JED Plc had earlier, in a statement issued by Elijah, noted that the company was saddened by the unfortunate incident that occurred at about 0313 hours that Saturday, which affected their customers on the Kabong Primary Distribution Transformer in the Kabong area of Rukuba Road in Jos.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the accident was as a result of a high-tension line that snapped onto the low-tension lines which resulted in a voltage supply outside limits.
“The source feeder tripped off and inter-tripped the transmission end source from Makeri Transmission Station,” Elijah explained.
The company further stated that an evaluation of the root causes was underway and appropriate measures will be put in place to prevent a recurrence, as they continue to monitor the situation closely to communicate the facts of the regrettable incident to citizens of the state.
“We express our deepest sympathies to families who have encountered losses as a result of this incident. We are grateful to traditional and community leaders in the area for all their support in managing the effects of the accident,” the spokesperson said.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, represented by his deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo, expressed sadness over the tragedy that resulted in the loss of lives and properties.
While on a visit to survivors at Ola Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), respectively, he extended his sympathies to the bereaved families, and praying for speedy recovery of the injured.
He described the incident as saddening and unfortunate, and assured citizens of the state that stringent measures would be taken to prevent any repeat.
The governor expressed gratitude to the Kabong community for their relentless support to his administration and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing issues that will enhance the living conditions of the people of the state.
Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Arc. Samuel Jatau, Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Nyam Gai, Executive Secretary of Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, Hon. Sunday Abdu, and House of Assembly Member, Hon. Danjuma Azi, who were part of the visit, also extended their sympathies and assured the community of government’s assistance in improving their living standards.
The youth leader of Kabong Central Youth Forum, Sylvanus Boniface, who gave an account of how the incident occurred, expressed gratitude on the prompt visit by Governor Mutfwang and appealed to the state government to aid the bereaved families and those who lost their means of livelihood to enable them rebuild their lives.
