A tragic incident occurred at a workshop in Ifo, Ogun State, where a welder, Oladokun Johnson, was electrocuted while working with a welding machine that had an exposed live wire. The victim, Jonathan Emmanuel, was assisting in offloading truck rims when one of the rims came into contact with the exposed wire, leading to his immediate electrocution.
According to SP Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, the incident was reported on March 6, 2024, at about 6:00 PM by Mr. Emmanuel Brown Abah, the father of the deceased. The victim had arrived at the workshop alongside his boss, Azeez Salami, a truck driver, and Olaleye Kamaldeen, the owner of an Iveco truck registered as T 7146 LA, Lagos. They were in a mini bus carrying about ten truck rims for offloading.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the welder, Oladokun Johnson, was working on a container at his workshop using the faulty welding machine. While the victim, Azeez Salami, and Olaleye Kamaldeen were rolling the rims towards the truck, one of the rims touched the exposed wire, causing the fatal electrocution.
Police officers were dispatched to the scene, and the victim was rushed to the General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor. The welder, truck owner, and driver have been arrested and are currently in custody. The welding machine and exposed wire were also taken as exhibits.
Odutola stated that the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and possible prosecution. She also advised business owners and artisans to prioritize workplace safety measures to prevent such tragic and avoidable incidents.
This incident follows another electrocution case reported days earlier, where Ishaku Monday, a 19-year-old machine operator at Xinfeng Plastics Limited along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, lost his life while operating a palletising machine inside the factory.
DAILY MENTOR reports that the police are intensifying efforts to ensure justice is served while urging the public to adhere to safety protocols in workplaces to avoid similar tragedies.