…father in coma, hospitalised
Generator has reportedly killed seven members of the family, among them a set of twins, in Benin, the Edo State.
The seven victims were found dead in their apartment at Akpata Street in Egor Local Government Area in the early hours of yesterday, after neighbours woke up and did not see them. It was learnt that the victims included six children of the family and their mother.
The eighth person, who is the father of the deceased children, Mr. Tochukwu Okwueze, was rushed to a hospital at the Eweka area of the town
Okwueze was said to be coma when the door was forced open. Residents and neighbours were apprehensive amid wailing when one of them peeped through the window of the house and was shocked to see the bodies of the victims on the bed and floor.
It was learnt that following incessant power outage in parts of the communities, including Benin City, the family had put on the generator in their kitchen on Monday night and left it running throughout the night. Following the shocking dis- covery, the door of the house was forced open to enable the residents to gain entrance into the apartment. Police, who were invited, evacuated the bodies to the Central Hospital, Benin.
Thousands of sympathisers thronged the building and the hospital. One of the relations of the deceased, who gave his name simply as Vincent, disclosed that he was alerted about the incident in Lagos by his younger brother.
He said: “My younger one called me from Lagos and asked me what was happening. I said that I did not know.
So, he told me to go to the house that something not pleasing to the ears had just happened.
“I called her (deceased woman) line. Somebody picked the call and said that they (victims) slept and did not wake up.
I stay at Evbuotubu area, so I went to the place. “The whole family was affected. But the police told me that the father survived it.
They said that though his case was serious, if there was the need to rush him to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, they would call me.
The youngest is a set of twins.” The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the incident.
.new telegraph