Tragedy in Abua:
Globacom mast kills middle aged woman
…Body dismembered
By Alloy Khenom
An incident occurred at Elok community in Okpeden, Abua clan in Rivers State killing a middle aged widow.
A report that got to our News Desk said that a tall mast being erected by GLOBACOM, a telecommunication service provider company at Elok collapsed on the woman and snuffed life out of her instantly.
The sad incident took place in the evening on Friday, July 3, 2009 and the victim was identified as Mrs Okagile Akari.
Our source explained that, the service provider, Globalcom is currently erecting a mast at Elok, in a bid to improving its network coverage in Abua.
We gathered that technicians assigned to the project were yet to okay the job when a man believed to be an indigene of Omalem, Central Abua ordered them to stop further work on the project. The reason for his action was not immediately known at press time.
The workers allegedly explained the dangers in leaving the project at that stage, noting that its nuts might not have been effectively screwed into their positions.
The man, we were further told, left the workers apparently in anger, and returned with some police officers to arrest the workers who were also detained.
While that drama went on, rain began to fall, accompanied by a heavy wind.
Mrs. Akari was then returning home from her farm, shivering in the cold weather, with one hand held above her head to balance a bunch of firewood.
She was accompanied and trailed behind by her about seven-year-old grandson in the primary school, who was also humming under a basin containing all their farming implement, water-jugs and vegetables.
Mrs Okagile Akari had stepped close to the mast when it suddenly crashed, making it absolutely wasteful yells from the school boy urging his poor grandma to “run fi cover”.
The gigantic steel structure fell on the widow and, in addition to the pains encountered, had one of her two hand cut off from her body.
Sympathizers who arrived the scene of the incident had little assistance to offer, as she gave up the ghost almost immediately and was deposited in the morgue at the Ahoada General Hospital.
A private telegraph number given to this reporter, allegedly belonging to the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) at Ahoada did not respond when it was dialed for their comment.
