Live Wire Tragedy: PHCN Abandons Boy, 9

•Afeez still in critical condition

•Afeez still in critical condition

Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, has allegedly abandoned a 9-year old boy, Ifakolade Afeez, who reportedly lost his arm after stepping on a live wire belonging to the company.

The incident, P.M.NEWS reliably gathered, happened barely 48 hours to the last Christmas day celebration when he was sent on an errand by his parents at Ipaja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.

It was learnt that while on his way, he saw an electric wire belonging to the PHCN and mistakingly stepped on it, not knowing that it was a live one.

•Afeez still in critical condition
•Afeez still in critical condition

It took combined efforts of passers-by and sympathisers before he could be saved from being electrocuted.

Before he was rescued, he had suffered a first degree burn leading to his being rushed to Savannah Hospital at Command bus stop which was very close to the scene of the incident.

Afeez spent few days at Savannah Hospital and when the hospital’s facilities were not adequate, he was transfered to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

However, due to lack of money to buy the necessary drugs and do the necessary tests, the boy’s left hand was eventually amputated as the injury on it had started decaying and to prevent it from spreading to the other parts of the boy’s body.

His distraught mother, Mrs. Tope Ifakolade, stated that the young boy is still in pains while he is expected to undergo another surgery to correct the damage done to his manhood as a result of the incident.

Speaking on the involvement of PHCN, she stated that although the agency’s officials visited them in the hospital, since the boy has been discharged, nobody from the agency had bothered to come.

“The PHCN officials are aware of the fate of Afeez. They know he will undergo another surgery on his damaged manhood but they are yet to show up again,” she said.

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According to the mother, since the incident occurred, Afeez has not been able to make use of his manhood as he is passing out urine through artificial means.

“As you can see, he is unable to make use of his penis as he is passing out urine through artificial means.

“When we were leaving LASUTH, the doctors said we should come back for surgery on the penis in six months and the date is due in September but where do we get the money to do this surgery and save my son’s life?” the woman asked.

Tope lamented further that the predicament of her son had left her and her husband in penury.

“We’ve exhausted all we have and we still need more. My son has lost his arm, please don’t allow him lose his penis,” she cried out.

As the boy lies sick on the bed without his left arm and probably may lose his manhood, there has not been any appreciable response from PHCN.

All efforts to speak with officials of the PHCN, Ipaja, Ayobo, as at the time of filing this report proved abortive as nobody was ready to speak with our correspondent on the matter.

—Jamiu Yisa

 

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