Tragedy hit the Babarinsa area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, on Wednesday as a three-year-old boy, Chibuike Uba, lost his life after falling into an uncovered soakaway pit in a neighboring compound.
The heartbreaking incident occurred during a family visit. Chibuike’s mother, Utoro, had come from her home in Epe to see her aunt when the unimaginable happened.
According to Utoro, she was packing her belongings to return home while her son stepped out to follow her aunt, who had gone outside to take a phone call. Moments later, the aunt returned, assuming Chibuike had already gone back inside — but the boy was nowhere to be found.
Panic set in as the family began searching frantically.
“I started shouting and looking everywhere. Then I noticed his slippers near an open soakaway in the next compound,” the grieving mother told reporters.
The property where the pit is located reportedly has no fence, giving children easy access to the hazardous area.
Chibuike was quickly pulled out of the pit and rushed to a nearby private hospital in Sapati, before being referred to the General Hospital in Akodo. Despite being placed on oxygen, doctors confirmed him dead shortly after arrival.
Utoro, still in shock, blamed landlord negligence, saying her aunt had previously warned the property owner multiple times about the danger of the exposed soakaway — but nothing was done.
“Even the wooden plank my aunt used to cover it was destroyed by flood. The man kept promising to fix it, but never did. And now my son is gone,” she said tearfully.
