3-Year-Old Boy Wanders Away From Aunt’s Residence In Lagos, Dies After Falling Into Uncovered Soakaway

A three-year-old boy, Chibuike Uba, who wandered away from his aunt’s residence in Babarinsa , Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State on Wednesday, has died after falling into an uncovered soakaway.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the boy’s mother, Utoro, who lives in Epe  had visited her aunt in the community and she was getting set to leave when the boy left her in the room to meet her aunt who had stepped out to make a phone call.

However, when her aunt returned, Uba asked about the child’s whereabouts, only to realise that he was nowhere to be found.

In a frantic search, Uba saw Chibuike’s slippers near the uncovered soakaway in the next compound and raised the alarm.

 ‘I visited my aunt and was getting set to leave when she received a call and my son followed her outside. I continued packing my things, assuming he was still with her. When she came back inside, I asked about my son’s whereabouts, and she claimed he had returned inside. I said ‘no’ and quickly rushed outside to search for him but couldn’t find him.

That was when I noticed his slippers near the soakaway in the next compound because it has no fence. I immediately screamed that my baby was inside the soakaway. That was how we quickly made efforts to pull him out and rush him to the hospital’ Utoro, reportedly submitted on Thursday.

She added that Chibuike was rushed to a nearby hospital in the Sapati area of the community and later referred to the General Hospital at Akodo where he died.

The owner of the building that has an uncovered soakaway has been blamed for the death of the young boy.

 ‘My aunt called the man and said she had repeatedly warned him to close the soakaway, but he kept promising to do that. Even the plank that my aunt used to cover it was damaged by the flood. As we speak, the soakaway is still left uncovered’ she added

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‘We have been unable to reach the landlord because he does not stay in the area. We are also trying to ensure that the incident is reported at the police station to get justice’ a  human rights advocate and founder, Harmony Advocacy Network, Harmony Tachie, also said-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you