A 12-year-old boy, Lekan Benjamin, on Tuesday drowned at Asa River in Ilorin while swimming with his friends.

Mr Falade Olumuyiwa, Kwara State Director of Fire Service, while confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), described it as unfortunate.

He said the incident happened when the victim, a student of Junior Secondary School, Ilorin, went swimming with some of his classmates while returning from school.

According to the fire director, the victim and his colleagues, who all live at Oja-lya area of llorin, always go to school within the vicinity of the river in groups.

He said the corpse of the deceased was recovered by some personnel of the state fire service under Ejiba bridge at Ejiba road, off Stadium road, Ilorin.

He disclosed that the body was immediately handed over to his father, Mr Monday Benjamin, amidst tears from other family members and sympathisers.

Olumuyiwa commiserated with the family of the deceased, advising parents to always guard against disaster by being mindful of the activities of their children.

In another development, the lbadan Electricity Distribution Company (lBEDB) says it has lost more than 96 electricity poles to Saturday’s rainstorm in Ilorin.

Alhaji Ajisafe Bello, Kwara Regional Head of IBEDB, confirmed this in an interview with NAN in llorin on Tuesday.

Bello said the damaged installation had resulted in a total blackout at the affected areas.

According to him, several businesses and residential areas across Ilorin metropolis and beyond have been thrown into total darkness since Saturday.

“The lBEDC had so far identified 96 damaged electricity poles by rainstorm in various parts of llorin metropolis which had brought blackouts in all the affected areas.

“Some of the affected areas include Okoerin, Ibrahim Taiwo road, Offa road in GRA, Umoru Saro road, ASA Dam road, Geri Alimi and Western Reservoirs road.

"Also, NNPC Pipeline road, Offa Garage road, Ganmo, Tanke along University of llorin permanent site, Danialu, Gas lmam and Gas AKANBI,” Bello said.

He however said the company engineers are working round the clock to restore normal electricity supply by fixing the poles and cables in order to boost social and economic activities.

Bello described the damage as colossal and unfortunate but appealed to affected residents to exercise patience with the company.

A welder, Mr ldowu Akanni and a Goldsmith, Alhaji Azeez Ajape, also told NAN that the blackout had negatively affected their economic activities.

They appealed to lBEDC to expedite action on the repair work to enable them resume their businesses, adding that they do not have other sources of income for survival as their businesses depended on electricity.

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