- Boy, 3, Dies After Falling Into Uncovered Soakaway in Ibeju Lekki
- During the search, Utoro found her son’s slippers next to an uncovered soakaway in a nearby compound
- Utoro attributed the tragedy to negligence
A three year old boy, Chibuike Uba, tragically lost his life after falling into an uncovered soakaway in the Babarinsa area of Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the devastating incident occurred on Wednesday while Chibuike’s mother, Utoro, was visiting her aunt in the area from her home in Epe.
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It was reported that the young mother was gathering her belongings to head back home when her son stepped out of the room to follow his aunt, who had gone outside to take a phone call.
When the aunt returned, she asked about Chibuike’s whereabouts, thinking he had gone back inside. However, he was nowhere to be found, prompting a frantic search.
During the search, Utoro found her son’s slippers next to an uncovered soakaway in a nearby compound.
The property is said to be without a fence, making the dangerous pit easily accessible. Utoro immediately raised the alarm, and efforts were made to rescue the child.
Speaking on Thursday, Utoro tearfully recounted the heartbreaking incident. “I visited my aunt and was packing my bags to head back home when she received a call and my son followed her outside. I continued packing, assuming he was still with her.
“When she came back inside, I asked about my son’s whereabouts, and she claimed he had returned inside. I said no and quickly rushed outside to search for him but couldn’t find him.
“That was when I noticed his slippers near the soakaway on the next compound beside the house because it has no fence. I immediately shouted that my baby was inside the soakaway. That was how we quickly made efforts to pull him out and rushed him to the hospital.”
Chibuike was first rushed to a nearby private hospital in the Sapati area, where he was referred to the General Hospital in Akodo. Although he was placed on oxygen upon arrival, medical staff later pronounced him dead.
Utoro attributed the tragedy to negligence, claiming that her aunt had earlier alerted the landlord about the risks of the exposed soakaway. However, she said those warnings were ignored.
“My aunt called the man and said she had repeatedly warned him to close the soakaway, but he kept promising to.
“Even the plank that my aunt used to cover it was damaged by the flood. As I speak to you, the soakaway is still open,” she said.
