Wheelbarrow pusher electrocuted while plucking mango

A wheelbarrow pusher in Nsukka town, Nsukka local government area of Enugu State was electrocuted on Wednesday while attempting to pluck ripped mango fruits.

The barrow pusher, identified as Kenechi, hailed from Abakaliki, in Ebonyi state and was said to have left early to pluck the mango fruits before the owner could wake up from sleep.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Mr Paul Ozioko, said the boy whose age was given as 18 was electrocuted around 7.45 am along Enugu Road.

He said the wheelbarrow pusher was electrocuted while trying to pluck mango with an iron bar which mistakenly touched a high-tension wire and was killed in the process.

“I saw that wheelbarrow pusher plucking mango this morning when I was taking my son who was travelling to Enugu to Peace Mass Transit motor park Nsukka. Unfortunately when I was coming back I saw people gathering at the place, only to be told that the boy has been electrocuted, “he said.

Ozioko wondered what could have made the deceased to start plucking mango as early as 7:00 am, stressing that it was not normal.

Another eyewitness, a commercial motorcycle operator who pleaded anonymity, said he had been seeing the wheelbarrow pusher around Ogige Market and Peace Mass Transit Motor Park, all in Nsukka.

“I was passing drop a passenger at PMT motor park Nsukka when I noticed that many people were rushing to the scene of the incident. I stopped to know what was going on only to see a lifeless body of a boy between the age of 15 and 18 who was electrocuted to death while trying to pluck mango. His wheelbarrow is under the mango tree where he was electrocuted,” he said.

A team of policemen from Nsukka police Division has evacuated the body and deposited it at the Bishop Shanahan Hospital Nsukka Mortuary.

A senior police officer, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the incident, stressing that an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.