TRAGIC: FAULTY HIGH-TENSION LINE KILLS FOUR, BURNS EIGHT OTHERS IN KATSINA

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Following a sad power surge brought on by malfunctioning high-tension lines, four people have been laid to rest early and eight others have been injured at Sabuwar Unguwa-Kwabran-Dorawa Community in Katsina State.

Officials at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) have not yet commented on the occurrence, despite the fact that the deceased have subsequently been buried in accordance with Islamic customs.

Three of the eight other people, who were primarily women, are presently undergoing treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina after suffering burns to their hands and other body parts in varying degrees.

Properties wort millions of Naira, primarily refrigerators and other electrical appliances, were reportedly damaged by the surge. However, the incident on Saturday has raised questions about the safety of the infrastructure and utility companies’ response.

In a phone interview on Sunday, eyewitness identified as Mustapha Kasim verified that the event happened early on Saturday morning after two high-tension wires collided during a windstorm, causing anomalous power flow to nearby residences.

According to him, the three women, Baba Murja, Hassana, and Halima Danjuma as well as an unnamed man died one after the other, while the male victim passed away following his release from the hospital.

According to her husband, Sani Ibrahim, one of the deceased, a mother of three, was electrocuted while trying to turn off the home refrigerator.

“After the incident, we instantly bought milk for her, and eventually succumbed while taking the milk, even before we moved to the hospital. She left behind three children. Her sudden death frightened me indeed,” he added.

Meanwhile, at least ten thousand technology investors and technology initiators are expected in Katsina State on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025, for the AREWA TECH FEST 2.0, which is the second version of its kind.

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The first version of the festival, tagged “Innovating for Impact: Technology as a Catalyst for Economic Transformation,” took place last year in Kano State with a resounding success, with stakeholders poised to ensure that they triple the success of Kano in Katsina State.

The main objective is to transform Katsina from an analog to a digital state and to make it a technology-driven economy, which is obtainable in the developed countries around the world.

The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Muttaka Darma in a press briefing held on Monday at the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT) noted that the event scheduled to hold from May 20th to 22nd 2025 at the Continental Event Center, off Katsina Ring Road, is the biggest in Northern Nigeria and one of the biggest in Africa and Nigeria as a whole.

Darma, recalled that the current state administration, has recorded tremendous successes and achievements in technology and other socioeconomic aspects since inception in 2023 hence, young people who are digitally bound will gather to help transform the State into digital one.

He believed that, at the end of the day, participants would develop solutions to the lingering socioeconomic and security challenges of problems of Katsina State.

He therefore extended an open invitation to entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, government institutions, academia, development partners, media, and the general public to take part in this historic moment.

According to him, Katsina is not just hosting a tech festival, but laying the foundation for a digital future that is inclusive, sustainable, and regionally transformative.

“The festival is going to encompass all. We have young people who are talented in Africa and Nigeria in particular up to about 10,000 and will be coming as either invesrors in technology or initiators of technology. They will start coming from today.

“In the last three months, we have been working to ensure that we have achieved a total success in what the state government has asked us to do. And we believe so tremendously that we have done well,” Darma added.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT), Naufal Ahmad described the event as multi city and hybrid type which has something for everyone irrespective of their status.

“The participants will be coming not only from Nigeria but also all over Africa and all over the world,” he stated.