By Austin Ogwuda
FOUR workers of the Benin Electricity Distribution Commission (BEDC) have been arrested in connection with the suspicious death of their colleague, Engineer Augustine Izekor who was recently electrocuted during a field operation with them at Evbodia community, near Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
The Town Hall Media reliably gathered that the arrested BEDEC were picked up following credible intelligence at various locations in the State by BEDC internal security personnel who later handed them over to Iyekogba Police Division in Oredo local government area of Edo State where they are presently being interrogated.
Chief Security Officer CSO of the BEDC, Colonel David Aghedo, (rtd) confirmed the arrest, saying “we have arrested those who went on the operations with him. They were arrested at various spots and we are yet to get their response as per their involvement in the operation that killed him (Izekor). But however, we shall be relating with the family members as events unfold”, he stated.
….BEDC management commiserates with family
In a related development, management of BEDC, at the weekend met with the family of Late Augustine Izekor at the Corporate Headquarters in Benin City after paying condolence visit to the wife, Mrs Helen Izekor and children.
The Head, Human Capital, Dr. Obi Obinna who led BEDC management team said, “this is a rude shock to us at the BEDC and we know it is unbearable for the family too.”It was an accident.
But we cannot rule out the fact that there were no errors. The errors are avoidable but it still occurred. We are very sorry over the loss and we guarantee the family that we will stand by them according to the laid down procedures of our organisation”, said Obinna.
Obinna further informed the family that an Insurance company had been contacted for payment of necessary compensation to his next of kin and also informed the family that either the deceased widow or any member of the family will be employed by BEDC, adding that “BEDC will support the burial of our late colleague, Izekor”.
Responding, the deceased immediate elder brother, Mr Friday Izekor told the management team that, “we (family) have hired a private investigator who is also doing his job and have come up with some facts”.
Recall that Engineer Augustine Izekor was electrocuted while he was up on hire tension cable working when there was counter instruction by one of the members of the team calling on the office to restore power shortly after another team member had called the office to switch to enable work be carried out.
