By Chidi Nkwopara     & Chinonso Alozie

OWERRI—The people of Azaraegbelu in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, were thrown into confusion and deep mourning yesterday, following the electrocution of a 48-year-old security staff of Nigerian Independent Power Project, NIPP.

The deceased NIPP staff, who was identified as Festus Egbujor, from Onum kindred of the community, reportedly died while cleaning the substation of the NIPP panel scheduled for commissioning, as directed by his superiors.

A villager said: “I was here with Festus, who was a member of my age grade, as he began to clean the substation. All of a sudden, he began to shout blood of Jesus, blood of Jesus and later kept quiet.

“It was at this point that I went in and saw him lying motionless.”

Gloom pervaded the area when Vanguard visited the scene of the incident, but the remains of Mr. Egbujor had reportedly been moved to an undisclosed hospital morgue.

A senior staff of Owerri Business Office of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased was not a staff.

The official said: “We do not have the full details of what happened at Azaraegbelu. The project is still that of NIPP. It has not been handed over to EEDC.

“It was being readied for commissioning and possible handover before the incident happened.”

However, when the Police Public  Relations Officers, PPRO, in the state, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, was contacted, he denied knowledge of the incident but promised to investigate it and get back to Vanguard.