By Michael Ovat -Awka
FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited has intensified its electricity safety awareness campaign in Onitsha, warning traders against operating under or dangerously close to high-tension power lines.
The sensitisation exercise, conducted on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, took place at Ọgbọ Rod, around Port Harcourt Road and Uga Street in Fegge, Onitsha, where several traders were observed displaying their wares and operating shops directly beneath or dangerously close to overhead high-tension lines.
More worrisome is that these are traders dealing in iron rods, metals, and other related building materials.
The FirstPower team expressed concern over the situation, particularly because many of the materials sold in the area are capable of conducting electricity. Some of the makeshift shops and goods displayed on them were erected so high that they nearly reached the level of the high-tension lines, thereby exposing both the traders, customers and passers-by to potentially fatal electrical hazards.
The team also observed several makeshift iron-container shops and shanties attached to or positioned dangerously close to the metal barricade protecting the distribution substation serving the area. Of particular concern was a newly erected structure placed directly in front of the substation, even obstructing access to the transformer and potentially hampering the work of authorised personnel during maintenance or emergency operations.
The sensitisation team comprised the Safety Officer for Ogidi/Aguleri Districts, Engr. Raphael Otakpor U., representing the Head of Health, Safety and Environment, Engr. Tosin Fadairo; the Safety Officer for Ogbaru District, Engr. David Isu; the Head of Security, Mr. Sam Uduak; and the Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor.
During the exercise, the team explained the dangers of trading and erecting structures within electricity line corridors, urging the traders to prioritise their lives and businesses by relocating to safer locations.
In response to the traders’ claims, the officers stressed that the absence of any previous accident there did not make the area safe, warning that contact between metal objects and energised power lines could result in severe burns, electrocution or death of many just in a second.
The sensitization, however, encountered resistance from some traders. While some accepted the safety materials distributed by the team, others declined to receive them or listen to the warnings. Some traders asked the officers to approach their caretaker and landlord, arguing that alternative locations should be provided for them. Others insisted they would not leave the area because they had conducted business there for several decades without experiencing any electrical accidents.
The FirstPower team subsequently met with the Caretaker, Mr. Sylvanus Ukpaka, and formally served him a safety notice, which he acknowledged. Notices were also served on some traders, with acknowledgements obtained where possible. For those who declined to receive the notices, the team pasted the documents and safety awareness materials on some of the affected shops, shanties, containers and displayed wares.
The company expressed further concern that, despite the ongoing sensitization and efforts to discourage the dangerous practice, some persons were still erecting new makeshift structures directly beneath the high-tension lines. FirstPower warned that such actions could expose more people to danger and complicate efforts to keep the electricity corridors safe.
To demonstrate some of the grave consequences of disregarding electrical safety warnings, the team also showed the traders videos of the three construction workers who died from electrocution in Fegge on Monday, October 19, after an iron pole they were attempting to erect for a water tank reportedly fell onto an 11kV electricity line.
As the traders watched in shock and disbelief, the FirstPower Team urged them to learn from the tragedy rather than assume that years of operating beneath power lines without an electrical accident guaranteed their safety.
FirstPower reiterated that electricity line rights-of-way must not be treated as ordinary commercial spaces, construction areas or extensions of private business premises. Traders, landlords, caretakers and property owners were urged to ensure that shops, containers, canopies, goods and other structures remain outside restricted electricity corridors and comply with applicable safety clearances.
The company further advised the public never to lift or handle long metal rods, ladders, roofing sheets or other conductive materials near overhead power lines without appropriate professional guidance and safety precautions. The company also urged parents, traders and business owners to educate workers and customers about electrical hazards, while also advising anyone who notices dangerous encroachment, exposed wires or unsafe activities near electricity installations to promptly report them to the appropriate authorities.
FirstPower said it would continue its safety awareness campaigns and engagement with relevant authorities and communities to address dangerous encroachment and protect lives. It urged traders and other occupants of the affected area to cooperate with the safety process and take immediate steps to remove activities and structures that could endanger them, their customers, and others.
As a follow-up to the sensitization exercise and its enforcement, the FirstPower team visited the D.P.O. of the Bridge Head Division Police Headquarters whose jurisdiction covers the area, discussed the violations and safety awareness campaign with him, after which they also submitted a formal letter to him on the matter.
The team also visited the scene of Monday’s fatal electrocution in Fegge Onitsha where it confirmed that the construction site had been sealed by the state government pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
The company stressed that no business, property or commercial gain was worth a human life, urging residents to always heed safety warnings and observe safety precautions before preventable incidents result in further tragedy.
