The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has constituted a committee to investigate the death of a staff of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Staff, Augustine Izekor, who was electrocuted last Thursday.

NERC confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that it had received a report on the fatal electrocution of the deceased, Izekor whose tragic demise occurred on 26 October 2023.

The deceased was fatally electrocuted during the course of his official duties whilst working on the disconnection of supply in Evbodia Community in Oredo, Edo state.

“BEDC reported the accident to the Commission in compliance with the extant regulatory requirements and an Accident Investigation Team (“AIT”) has been constituted to investigate the immediate and remote circumstances leading to the fatal electrocution of the deceased,” NERC stated.

The commission stated that its leadership has contacted the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Helen Izekor to extend its condolences and provide assurances on compensation measures by the DisCo.

NERC added that it will always remain committed to ensuring public safety in the delivery of services in the NESI in line with its zero tolerance for accident policy.

The commission has also assured the general public that the matter shall be treated in accordance with the extant safety codes and regulations.

It was gathered that Izekor embarked on an operation to restore electricity to Evbodia community when one of his colleagues reportedly called the control room for power outage as work was in progress.

Another member of the team placed a counter call to the same control room for power to be restored, while Izekor was still working with his tools: spanner, screw driver, plier and others, a development which turned out to be his undoing.

NERC said, as soon as Izekor was knocked down, some of his colleagues reportedly fled the scene, without informing the management or rushing the victim to the hospital for immediate medications, thereby raising suspicions about his death.

However, after some time, one of them went back to the scene to find the deceased battling for life.

He and some sympathisers rushed him to Faith Mediplex Hospital, Benin City where he eventually gave up. (The Guardian)

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