A man believed to be a scavenger, lost his life when a staircase in an abandoned one-storey building collapsed on him at Elechi Street in the Mile 3 area of Diobu in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
According to PUNCH Metro, the scavenger was trying to remove rods from the abandoned building covered with weeds.
The Chief Security Officer of Nkpolu Oroworukwo Mile 3 Diobu, Godstime Ihunwo, who is also a member of the Diobu Vigilante Service revealed that he received information about hoodlums engaging in drug-related activities in the building at around 6:15 pm on Wednesday.
Ihunwo said, “Based on the fresh complaints by residents of 38 Elechi Streets, Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt, where hoodlums usually go and smoke hard drugs, I quickly mobilised my men to the scene.”
Upon reaching the area, the hoodlums had already left, but during a search, the lifeless body of a man was discovered.
Ihunwo described the unfortunate discovery, saying, “We also observed that the staircase of the abandoned one-storey building collapsed on the deceased. We quickly raised the alarm, which drew the attention of residents of the area who came to the scene. And we quickly informed the Nkpolu Divisional Police headquarters in Mile 3 Diobu, on the development.”
The police visited the scene on Wednesday afternoon, and the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the death. Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated, “I don’t know if hoodlums were using the place. What I am told is that the man that died was a scavenger. It is like he was trying to remove rods from the staircase when it collapsed on him. His corpse has been deposited in the mortuary, and investigation is ongoing.”
