Tears flow as carpenter and his wife are killed by live high tension wire

There was confusion in the Mushin area of Lagos State after a 51-year-old carpenter, Muritador Ajayi, was electrocuted by a live high-tension wire.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased was working on the roof of a building under construction on Bamigboye Street, when power was suddenly restored to the area.

Muritador’s hammer was said to have touched the wire as he raised it to drive in a nail, which led to his electrocution.

He was rushed to a general hospital, where he was confirmed dead.


It was gathered that his wife, Taiye, on getting the sad news, collapsed and was taken to a private hospital where she also died.

It was a sombre atmosphere when our correspondent visited the victims’ residence on Alafia Street.

One of the deceased’s children, Sunkanmi, explained that both victims had been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

Sunkanmi, who was with his father when the incident happened, said it took about 10 minutes after he fell off the roof before he could get help.

He said, “It was around 9am last Friday that the incident happened. My father was contracted to roof the house which was under construction. There was a high-tension wire that passed near the roof of that particular house.

“He had asked me to lift a plank for him so he could lay it on the roof. I just noticed that he fell off the roof; I thought his feet slipped. I later realised that it was when he lifted the hammer that he was electrocuted and fell.

“I saw him vomiting blood and I started shouting for help, but nobody came. It was as if the area was deserted.”

He said some residents heard his cry about 10 minutes later and assisted in taking his father to the Mushin General Hospital.

Another child of the family, Yusuf, said Taiye, who was their father’s second wife, followed them to the hospital.

He said, “The doctor asked us to take our father into the ward, and we were asked to wait outside. My father’s second wife followed us to the hospital and waited at the gate.

“But someone took her to a shop and it was there that a child went to break the news to her that her husband was dead; she collapsed immediately. She was taken to a private hospital on Araromi Street, where she was also pronounced dead.”

It was gathered that Taiye had yet to give birth to any child for Muritador before her demise.

The case was reported at the Olosan Police Division.

The victim’s first wife, Nosimat, while fighting back tears, said she was at home when she got the news.

She said, “We have been married for over 24 years and we had four children together. The morning the incident happened, he said all those who were supposed to join him to work on the building gave excuses and said they could not join him.

“I was the one who called our son to support him. Even Sunkanmi said he had a place to go, but I begged him to join his father. About 15 minutes after they left, power was restored. Some minutes after, Sunknami ran home and started screaming that his father had been electrocuted.”

She told PUNCH Metro that the family was not ready to make any case with the owner of the house.

Nosimat, a trader, appealed for support for her four children so that their education would not be affected by the death of their father.

A resident, who did not identify himself, said the late carpenter had just bought a car which he intended to use as a taxi, when he died.

“He never got to drive the car before he died,” he added.