It is a different type of pain for the Okpabi family who have been thrown into mourning following the death of their first and only daughter.
12 years old Rejoice was electrocuted from touching a high voltage cable wrongly placed allegedly by officers of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company while carrying out a house chore in the Durumi axis of the nation’s capital, Abuja.
“This same light that killed my daughter, I’ve been complaining about. 30 minutes after my girl died, they came and disconnected the light” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
Simi Okpabi, mother of the late victim narrated to ROOTS TV how an issue she long lamented about snuffed life out of her only daughter.
“I’ve been laying complaints about it even when the high tension was put over our zinc roof, I’ve been laying complaints and before they fix it we will pay” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
She said the incident that led to her daughter’s death is one that would not have happened if necessary and due actions were taken by relevant authorities.
“The first time she passed to fetch water, it shocked her…she even threw the water on her head (according to neighbours) they asked her to take road behind which she did after which she started washing cloth, she went on to spread the washed cloths, but it rained the previous day (Friday) so the ground was wet, she did not have slippers on…that’s how the electric got her. She struggled to find a something to hold and held an iron jumper nearby. It was the same iron that I complained about that still killed my child.” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
“Immediately I entered, I saw my daughter covered with blue material; I asked why she was covered. I opened and could hardly believe it. “If it is the light that killed my daughter, let me go to the NEPA office since they are the one controlling the light …they will know how to wake her up for me. They didn’t let me” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
Late Rejoice is described as the apple of her father’s eye. According to her mother she was more than just a child.
“Rejoice is a hardworking girl, I’ll miss her a lot because of that. In my market she helped me beyond what a child can do for her mother. She is 12 years old but she did things a lot.” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
Mrs. Simi recounts how she complained severally about the dangers posed by the high tension’s proximity to her house which almost touched the rooftop but the AEDC did nothing until it claimed her daughter’s life and now she is left with nothing but “sorry”.
“Some NEPA officials have been coming. The only greeting they have been greeting is sorry for your loss, God wants it that way…that’s why it happened.
Normally if poles fall they will not do it till we gather our money and purchase a new one. They will still come and collect money to fix the pole for us. The first time I started complaining was when one pole fell on top of our zinc. We had to find wood/plank to put so that it will not directly touch our zinc before we bought the pole and they came to fix it.)
All I know is that it is all nonsense questions they ask me, say nonsense and say sorry for my loss. I don’t know if their sorry will bring back my child or their sorry will help me do what she has been doing” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
The death of 12 years Rejoice makes it the second of such in a duration of one week and aggrieved residents of the area who have grown weary to the plight of poor and illegal electricity connection took to the streets to express their displeasure about the incident.
“There are a lot of death traps around. This one is just one of hundreds of such so which means if this one could kill that girl, there are a lot of people this same thing can kill. The girl is not the first; she’s the second that I’m aware of in the space of one week” – Emmanuel Emeka (Durumi Resident)
The electricity situation in Durumi is as bad as they come. Another worrisome feat is the outrageous amount residents are compelled to pay for the said illegal connection.
“They say Durumi light is illegal…something that is illegal and we are paying NEPA bills for. Like these 5 rooms for instance, sometimes they give us N43,000″ – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
“When they are coming to collect their bill, nobody reminds them. When they want to disconnect your light nobody will tell them but when you meet them for them to come and do something they will just relax, they take it with levity like it is not their business” – Emmanuel Emeka (Durumi Resident)
The grieving mother however says justice for her late daughter is the only thing that can soothe her pain. She urged people residing near high-tension wires to practice safety measures.
“What exactly I want is that NEPA should start doing their work. They should stop putting people’s life in danger because when I went to the hospital to see my daughter’s dead body, the doctor also confirmed the death of a 3years who also died for the same reason” – Simi Okpabi (Victim’s Mother)
Roots TV reached out to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company in the Apo-Durumi area and its headquarters in the Wuse Zone 4 Area for a reaction about the matter and the issue of illegal electricity connections claiming lives. They did not grant us an audience.
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