Students and others protesting the electrocution a Junior Secondary School student on Thursday blocked the Benin-Auchi highway, causing heavy vehicular traffic.
The student from Eyean Community Secondary, Eyean in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo was simply identified as Benedict.
A witness said the incident occurred while the students were going home at the close of school.
He said the deceased was arguing with his colleagues who accused him wrongly. They dared him to swear with any metallic object to prove his innocence.
Not knowing that the steel rods are electrified, he grabbed one in order to prove his innocence and was electrocuted immediately and burnt beyond recognition.
According to the witness, a vehicle had knocked down the pole, exposing the cable.
The students of the school were said to have accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company of causing the death of the student for not taking urgent action to fix the broken electric pole.
When contacted, the spokesman for the BEDC, Mr Tayo Adekunle, said he had yet to receive a report about the incident from the field officers.
“We will commence investigation and take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigation.
“Management will take the necessary action. It is our people in the field that will give report on what actually transpired,’’ Adekunle said. (NAN)
