By A three-year-old boy, Chibuike Uba, has died after falling into an uncovered soakaway in the Babarinsa area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, sparking fresh outrage over infrastructural negligence and child safety.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on Wednesday while Chibuike was visiting his aunt’s home in the community. His mother, Utoro, who resides in the Epe area, had brought her son along as she packed her belongings to leave the house.
In the moments that followed a brief distraction, tragedy struck.
“I was packing to leave when my aunt got a call, and my son followed her outside. I thought he was still with her, so I continued packing,” Utoro recounted in a tearful voice note shared with our correspondent on Thursday.
“When she returned inside, I asked about my son, but she said he had come back. I rushed outside and couldn’t find him.”
The search ended in horror. Chibuike’s slippers were discovered next to an open soakaway in the neighbouring compound, which has no protective fencing.
“I shouted that my baby was inside the soakaway,” she cried. “We immediately tried to bring him out and rushed him to the hospital.”
The toddler was first taken to a local health centre in Sapati and later transferred to the General Hospital in Akodo. Sadly, despite medical efforts, Chibuike was confirmed dead shortly after arrival.
Utoro accused the landlord of criminal negligence, revealing that her aunt had warned him multiple times about the danger of the exposed soakaway. “The wooden cover she used had been damaged by flooding, yet the landlord failed to replace it,” she said, adding that the hazard had been left gaping for weeks.
Efforts to contact the landlord were unsuccessful as he reportedly does not live within the community.
Human rights advocate and founder of the Harmony Advocacy Network, Harmony Tachie, expressed concern over the incident and promised that her organisation would ensure legal action is taken.
“We’ve not been able to reach the landlord, but we are preparing to involve the police and ensure justice is served,” Tachie said.
This tragedy is reminiscent of a similar incident in November 2024, when 10-year-old Obinna Okoro drowned in floodwaters along Liasu Road in Idimu, after slipping off an unguarded walkway during heavy rainfall.
Both cases have reignited public anger over poor safety standards, weak enforcement of building codes, and lack of accountability from property owners—particularly in low-income and suburban communities.
As Chibuike’s family mourns the loss of their only child, many are calling on Lagos authorities to act swiftly and decisively to prevent such avoidable deaths from recurring.
“My son didn’t deserve to die like this,” Utoro wept. “This could have been prevented.”
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