A Yobe State High Court has awarded a teenage girl, Hamsatu Abdullahi, a total of N200 million as damages against Nigerian telecommunications giant, MTN and Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) over a wrong mast connection whose cable electrocuted her, leading to her hand and leg being amputated.

Delivering the judgment in the case, Justice Lawu Lawan said: “I hold that the plaintiff has duly established, by oral and documentary credible and unchallenged evidence against the defendants.

“I equally hold that the plaintiff is entitled to claims from the defendants jointly and severally as compensating or general damages for the permanent disablement via the loss of her two hands, right leg, continuous pains medical treatment, anguish, shock and continuous psychological trauma and loss of amenities of life caused by the defendants’ act and omissions.

“Therefore, the sum of two hundred million naira (N200,000,000.00) is hereby awarded against the defendants jointly and severally in favour of the plaintiff. The particular of heads of the damages is as follows:

1. Loss of earnings, pains and suffering – N10,000,000.00

2. Loss of capacity for enjoyment of life – N10,000,000.00

3. Shortening of expectation of life – 10,000,000.00

4. Cost of keeping a servant to assist the plaintiff – N10,000,000.00

5. General damages – N150,000,000.00

6. Cost of action – N10,000,000.00.”

Hamsatu’s father, Abdullahi Koki, had filed a suit with reference No. YBS/D/HC2/001/2021, complaining that his daughter was electrocuted by the second defendant’s electricity cable in front of their house, despite protests at the first defendant’s building of a mast in the same position.

He said that because of the 2012 event in Chumbusko village in Karasuwa Local Government in Yobe State, little Hamsatu’s hands and right leg were amputated, leaving her permanently handicapped.

Reacting to the judgment, Counsel to the plaintiff, Ahmed Igoche, said that he was happy with the judgment because it involves a teenage girl from a remote village and a multi-million company like MTN and NELMCO.

“What gives me joy for this judgment is the status of the people that are involved in this case and our defendants. This is a girl from a remote village in Karasuwa with very poor family background. So what this judgment has taught us how to respect the law and that the law can bring you down, no matter how high you are.”

Source: The Nation.