The bereaved family is demanding Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250,000,000.00) as damages for Balogun’s death.
The family of Balogun Yusuf, a former staff of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has accused the company of abandoning him after he was electrocuted in the course of his job.
This was made known to SaharaReporters by the family’s legal representative, Titilope Anifowoshe, who revealed via a petition submitted to appropriate authorities.
He said the bereaved family is demanding Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250,000,000.00) as damages for Balogun’s death.
It was gathered that Balogun died on the 27th of March 2023 while fixing an electrical malfunction that had been persistent in Ladipo Labinjo Street off Coker Road, Surulere, Lagos, which also affected the home of the father to the former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who is also the Minister of Works.
The petition reads: “a) Balogun Yusuf (hereinafter referred to as the deceased), was a staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria before its privatization. After the privatization, he continued to work at the Eko Electricity Distribution PLC (EKEDC) where he was recently promoted to the position of Team Lead in the department of Operation and Management of Alexander Marius Consultant.“b) The deceased resumed work every day and actively participated in the daily operations of the EKEDC. (c). It was based upon the deceased’s active involvement in the activities of the EKEDC that he was granted promotion. d) On the morning of 27 March 2023, at about 8:35 am or thereabout, Balogun Yusuf was given an assignment to fix an electrical malfunction that had been persistent in Ladipo Labinjo Street off Coker road, Surulere, Lagos.
“e) He was assigned to the function by his superiors who specifically reiterated the fact that assignment is of high interest because the home of the father to Former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola and Minister of Works is affected by the electrical malfunction. At around 10 am, Yusuf set out for the assignment along with 4 other junior staff members of EKEDC. (All attempts to retrieve the names of these staff from EKEDC have proven abortive).
“f) The deceased had restored the light in collaboration with the control room and was at the completion of the job on the electric pole when the electricity suddenly came back on. He was instantly electrocuted and fell down from the pole resulting in multiple injuries on his head, face, legs and arm. Annexed herein is the medical reports.
“g) The said colleagues who accompanied him on the assignment fled from the scene with his clothes leaving his lifeless body on the ground only to be rescued by members of the community.
“h) The deceased was rushed to Avon Medical Practise, 8 Ademola Ojomo close off Bode Thomas Durulere by good Samaritans. Efforts were made to resuscitate his life, after which he was transferred to Federal Medical Center Ebutte Metta, where he died as a result of electrocution, multiple and severe injuries and loss of blood at 1:50PM. Annexed herein is the medical report.
“i). At 5.35 PM, 4 hours later his wife, Titilayo was notified of his accident via phone call. J). Titilayo along with her family rushed to Ebutte Metta General Hospital to meet his lifeless body lying inside an Ambulance bus. The wife requested for explanations but no one including one “Baba Orobo” a senior EKEDC staff could give any tangible explanation as to the cause of the accident and the reason why it took hours to take receive medical attention. No explanation could be given as to the whereabout of his clothes and belongings.
“k) After a heated protest by the wife, the deceased’s identity card, ATM and cellphone were produced. l) By Islamic rite, his body was taken by family to his house for burial the next day. M) Sadly at the burial, no single official from EKEDC showed up, neither did his family receive any contact or visitation from his office.
“n) The petitioner and family, waited for 12 days hoping to get explanations, or an address from officials of EKEDC on the cause of death of one of their brightest staff to no avail. o) Beyond the silence of EKEDC on the circumstances surrounding Yusuf’s untimely death. His children are asking to see their father daily.
“p) The deceased was a father and breadwinner who worked hard to give his children the best academic and Islamic education. q) The Petitioner and family have stopped chasing EKEDC around for explanations and she is opting for the legal way pf getting remedies.
“r) The deceased was a father of three bright children and a husband of a young Police Officer. As a result, the family sought the following compensation for the loss of their breadwinner:
The petition continued: “a. The sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250,000,000.00) being compensation for the Yusuf Balogun being a breadwinner and father of three children untimely death and to cover the scholarship of his three children to university level pursuant to Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999
“b. A written public apology (to be published on 2 national dailies) from the IEDC for the negligence and insouciance on the part of their officials which led to the untimely death of Yusuf Balogun
“c. The Petitioners demand the prosecution of all the staff who were on duty with Yusuf at the site of death.”