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From: Tony Osauzo, Benin A wall, erected to support water pipes of a commercial borehole, has collapsed and killed a nine-year-old girl in Benin- City. The victim, identified as Choice Izevbaye, a primary three pupil, who lost her father few years ago, reportedly met her untimely death at No 8, Osarehen Street, Off Powerline Road, Ogida Quarters, Benin-City. She was said to have been sent by her grandmother on an errand when the wall collapsed on her as she bent to scoop water from a bowl. Narrating the incident, mother of the girl, Reginald Eseiwi, 35, said she was away when the tragedy occurred. She accused the landlord and operator of the borehole, one Mr Osawe Edigin of negligence as the wall had been in bad condition for long. The bereaved mother alleged that several complaints from residents of the need to rebuild the wall fell on deaf ears. She appealed to the commissioner of police, Haliru Guandu, AIG Zone 5, Mr. Adamu Abubakar, and other relevant authorities to come to her aid as three of her family members have been detained by the police. According to Eseiwi, the arrest of her family members followed allegation of malicious damage of property raised before the police by Mr. Osawe Edigin. Mr Osawe Edigin could not bereched to state his side of the story. His building was deserted when our reporter visited but damaged black rubber bowl was seen under the rubbles of the collapsed wall in front of the house while some louvers in the windows of the building were broken. Edo State Police Command spokesman, DSP Moses Nkombe, while confirming the tragedy said the landlord and water seller, Mr Osawe Edigin, has been arrested and the police are investigating possible negligence that occasioned the death of the little child. He also confirmed that the police arrested three members of the bereaved family over allegation of malicious damage on the resident of Mr Osawe Edigin. The corpse of the child was said to have been deposited in a mortuary. |