It was a sad day for residents of 1, Olusoga Street off Alafia Street in Mushin when the three-year-old son of a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider) got drowned in a soakaway.
According to neighbours and eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when the toddler’s father wanted to put on a generator and he noticed the child following him. He instructed the boy to go back but just heard the sound of something falling inside the soakaway.
When he discovered it was his son, he jumped inside it to rescue him, all to no avail. By the time he was brought out and rushed to a nearby hospital, the little boy was certified dead.
The Nation learnt that the building was later sealed off by the officials of the Mushin Local Government.
The notice of abatement issued to the owner of the building reads in part: “Inspection carried out under the above mentioned Law at your premises situated at 1, Olusoga Street within Lagos State on November 12, has revealed that you have failed to: Abide with the quality of Environmental Standard devoid of dirt, filth, open defecation, dirty toilet, discharge of human faeces, contamination of water sources, unsafe preparation and sales of food in a dirty environment etc.
“Defective/collapse slab of the septic tanks accommodation thereby caused the drowning of two persons which led to led to the death of a three years old baby.
“Premises in a state of general disrepair and distress with cracked and dilapidated structure habit to collapse at any moment.
“Accommodation of miscellaneous articles within and around premises is favourable place for rodents.
“Hence, all these contributing to the spread of disease/epidemic occurrence.
In these circumstances, unless you comply with above provision of this cited law within seven days, the provision of above law will be enforced on you accordingly for the purpose of controlling the possible epidemics.”
The Head of the Environmental Health Services and Waste Management Department of Mushing Local Government, Mr Agbolahan Agbaje, told The Nation yesterday that he received a call from one of the residents on Monday.
On getting there, Agbaje said the team saw a defective septic tank that collapsed.
“In the process, a man and his child fell in the septic tank but they were able to rescue the two of them but eventually the child died later. On Tuesday, we went there as environmental officers and we saw it but they were about repairing the entire thing. We gave the house owner seven days to fix it,” he said. The nation