A devastating incident occurred on Saturday at Isaiah Morah Close in Awka, Anambra State, when a three-year-old girl was fatally electrocuted by a fallen high-tension cable reportedly owned by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
Eyewitnesses said the girl accidentally stepped on the live wire, unaware it was carrying electricity. The cable had reportedly fallen the day before, and despite repeated efforts by residents to alert authorities, no immediate action was taken.
Local sources revealed that residents contacted EEDC officials after the cable collapsed, and were allegedly asked to pay N30,000 for the repair. Despite reportedly making the payment, no repair team arrived until two days later.
A resident, identified as Uche, said the cable remained on the ground from Friday until Sunday, May 24, 2025, when it was finally repaired—after the tragic loss of the child.
He added that the matter had been shared in a neighborhood WhatsApp group, prompting EEDC to send a team. However, the team reportedly failed to locate the exact spot and returned without addressing the hazard.
The young victim lived with her mother and others in a partially abandoned building nearby. On the day of the incident, she was returning from fetching water when she unknowingly stepped on the live cable. Witnesses said other children raised an alarm, and adults rushed to pull her away from the wire. She was taken to Awka Medical Centre near Udoka Gate, but sadly, she was pronounced dead on arrival.
When contacted on Monday, Anambra State Police Command spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the police had not received any formal report of the incident.
Similarly, EEDC’s Communications Manager, Emeka Ezeh, stated that he had no information on the case at the time and would need to investigate further.
