From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Two Students of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, have died after having reportedly inhaled fumes from a generating set locked close to the window of their apartment overnight.
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer SP William Ovye Aya confirmed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday evening.
Aya disclosed that, the deceased victims were identified as Bilikisu Tijani Eleojo, 20 years old, and Ibrahim Haliru.
According to him, a generating set was on close to the window of the deceased victims, before they slept off, and later died before daybreak.
The lifeless bodies of duo were reportedly recovered in the room by neighbours in the early hours of the day.
“There were three students from Kogi Polytechnic inside the room. One Bilikisu Tijani Eleojo, 20 years old, Ibrahim Haliru,, and Mercy Ojochegbe. When they slept inside their room, a generator set was switched on close to the window of their apartment.
“They all slept off and inhale carbon monoxide as a result of the generator set that was on.
Bilikisu Tijani Eleojo, and Ibrahim Haliru were already dead when neighbors discovered the sad incident in the morning while Mercy Ojochegbe who was still breathing was immediately rushed to the hospital. The incident was reported at the B division of the Nigeria Police Force Lokoja and investigation is ongoing” he stated.
He admonished residents to always be safety conscious to avert carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes.
He said “People should be very careful once they are using a generator set in their homes. They should give it a distance and also it should not be closer to the window where they are living. Some may say because of the fear that people will come and steal the generator, they won’t apply this safety precautions. It is wrong. It is when someone is alive that he or she would be able to accomplish things in this world . Safety should always be our watch words”.