23rd August, 2013
Tragedy occurred on Wednesday at Ofada area of Mowe, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, when a three-year old boy fell into an open well and drowned.
The little boy, Ola William, had just returned from tutorials in his school and was playing around the vicinity when the incident happened.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the well had been left uncovered since it was dug and was quickly covered after the boy died inside it.
The mother of the child (who does not want her name mentioned) said she went to Lagos for business purpose and that she did not always leave the boy, her only child, behind whenever she went out.
On the fateful day, she said the boy was left with her younger brother, Tosin, but that he also went out and left the boy with her grandmother at home.
Neigbours said none of them saw the boy when he wandered to where the well is located.
It was gathered that when William’s mother came back from Lagos, she inquired about the whereabouts of her child, but no one could tell her where he was.
Then a frantic search for him in the neighbourhood began.
After a long period of inquiry and search, one of the search parties discovered the slippers of William beside the well.
On getting to the well, the little boy was seen floating on water, having been dead for hours.
Executive Director, Esther Child Rights Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Mrs. Esther Ogwu told P.M.NEWS that the demise of the boy was reported at the police station at Ofada and was later referred to the Owode Police Station.
She said the deceased’s death certificate was obtained at the Owode General Hospital before the burial was conducted.
Ogwu advised parents to always take proper care of their children to avert similar tragedy.
She said if little William had been properly monitored, his death would have been averted.
“Parents should monitor the movement of their children. That boy was their only child and now he is dead. It is very sad that this kind of thing should happen to the family,” she said.