FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited has warned traders operating beneath or dangerously close to high-tension electricity lines in Onitsha, Anambra State, to relocate to safer locations to prevent potentially fatal electrical accidents.
The warning was issued during a safety sensitisation exercise at Ọgbọ Rod, around Port Harcourt Road and Uga Street in Fegge, Onitsha, where traders were found displaying goods and operating shops directly beneath or dangerously close to overhead power lines.
The FirstPower team comprised the Safety Officer for Ogidi/Aguleri Districts, Engr. Raphael Otakpor, representing the Head of Health, Safety and Environment, Engr. Tosin Fadairo; the Safety Officer for Ogbaru District, Engr. David Isu; the Head of Security, Mr. Sam Uduak; and the Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor.
The team expressed concern over the presence of traders dealing in iron rods, metals and other building materials beneath the high-tension lines, noting that conductive materials and makeshift structures erected close to the lines posed serious risks to traders, customers and passers-by.
It also observed several iron-container shops and shanties attached to or dangerously close to the metal barricade protecting the distribution substation serving the area.
A newly erected structure directly in front of the substation was particularly concerning because it obstructed access to the transformer and could impede authorised personnel during maintenance or emergency operations.
During the exercise, the officials explained the dangers of trading and erecting structures within electricity line corridors, urging traders to prioritise their lives and businesses by moving to safer locations.
They warned that the absence of previous accidents did not make the area safe, stressing that contact between metal objects and energised power lines could cause severe burns, electrocution or death within seconds.
The sensitisation exercise, however, encountered resistance from some traders. While some accepted the safety materials distributed by the team, others declined to receive them or listen to the warnings.
Some traders asked the officials to engage their caretaker and landlord, arguing that alternative locations should be provided, while others insisted they would not leave because they had conducted business in the area for several decades without experiencing electrical accidents.
The team subsequently met with the caretaker, Mr. Sylvanus Ukpaka, and served him a formal safety notice, which he acknowledged. Notices were also served on some traders, with acknowledgements obtained where possible.
For those who declined to receive the notices, the team pasted the documents and safety awareness materials on affected shops, shanties, containers and displayed wares.
FirstPower expressed further concern that some people were still erecting new makeshift structures directly beneath the high-tension lines despite ongoing sensitisation efforts, warning that the practice could expose more people to danger and complicate efforts to keep electricity corridors safe.
To illustrate the consequences of disregarding electrical safety warnings, the team showed traders videos of three construction workers who died from electrocution in Fegge on Monday, October 19, after an iron pole they were reportedly attempting to erect for a water tank fell onto an 11kV electricity line.
The officials urged traders to learn from the tragedy rather than assume that years of operating beneath power lines without an accident guaranteed their safety.
FirstPower reiterated that electricity line rights-of-way must not be treated as ordinary commercial spaces, construction areas or extensions of private business premises. It urged traders, landlords, caretakers and property owners to ensure that shops, containers, canopies, goods and other structures remain outside restricted electricity corridors and comply with applicable safety clearances.
The company also advised the public against lifting or handling long metal rods, ladders, roofing sheets and other conductive materials near overhead power lines without appropriate professional guidance and safety precautions.
Parents, traders and business owners were encouraged to educate their workers and customers about electrical hazards, while members of the public were urged to report dangerous encroachment, exposed wires and unsafe activities around electricity installations to the appropriate authorities.
As part of its follow-up measures, the FirstPower team visited the Divisional Police Officer at the Bridge Head Division Police Headquarters, whose jurisdiction covers the affected area. The team discussed the safety violations and sensitisation campaign with the police officer and submitted a formal letter on the matter.
The team also visited the scene of Monday’s fatal electrocution in Fegge, where it confirmed that the construction site had been sealed by the state government pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.
FirstPower said it would sustain its safety awareness campaigns and engagement with relevant authorities and communities to address dangerous encroachment and protect lives.
The company urged traders and other occupants of the affected area to cooperate with the safety process and take immediate steps to remove activities and structures that could endanger them, their customers and other members of the public.
It stressed that no business, property or commercial gain was worth a human life, calling on residents to heed safety warnings and observe necessary precautions to prevent further tragedies.
