Avoiding death from frequent power surge

THERE is no doubt that Nigerians are now buffeted from all flanks. Wherever the people turn to, avoidable death lurks in the corner. For instance, if one was lucky to escape from the criminals prowling the land, or from trigger-happy men in uniforms, one may not be so lucky with containers falling from articulated vehicles, or fires from fallen petrol tankers on the roads.

In recent times, however, Nigerians have suffered two, but related, kinds of death – electrocution and fire caused by power surge due to poor services by electricity distribution companies. From as early as 2016 to the most recent incident this December, hundreds of lives and property worth millions of Naira have been lost to these horrible incidents.

Around 1.00am on December 21, 2022, eleven residents of Gwagwaje in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, lost their lives to power surge. Many others sustained injuries, while one house was completely razed. According to the Head of Corporate Communications, Kaduna Electric, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, a high-tension wire had snapped and fallen on a low-tension line which resulted in excessive voltage supply. 

Earlier, on February 24, 2022, a nurse and a Junior Secondary School student were also electrocuted while three others were injured at Wadata area of Makurdi, Benue State, following a surge in power supply that resulted from a faulty transformer. People had rushed to disconnect their appliances as soon as they noticed the high voltage. Some were electrocuted in the process.

On January 17, 2020, fire, caused by electric power surge, the second of such incident in less than two years, gutted a hostel block at Loretto Special Science School, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State. Two years earlier, around July 30, 2017, two persons were electrocuted while 10 others were critically injured at Agwan Biri area of Minna, Niger State, after they touched some of their home appliances during a power surge.

Before the Agwan Biri incident, on October 5, 2016, one Mrs. Okanlawon Florence was electrocuted while attempting to switch off her fridge during a fire incident at Oke Ira, in Ojodu Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. The fire which affected four buildings was attributed to a faulty PHCN 22 KVA transformer at Shokoya Close.

To avoid these ugly incidents and unnecessary loss of lives, first, the electricity distribution companies must ensure that transformers, cables and other electrical parts used in the supply chain are in good conditions. Faulty parts should be detected on time and promptly replaced.

On the part of consumers, the National Orientation Agency should drive it into people’s consciousness to always disconnect their electrical appliances when they are not in use, or stay away once they are connected and there is over-current. People should also evacuate to a safe place in the event of fire or power surge. No property in the world can be more valuable than life.