By Adebisi Onanuga,The Nation

Copyright thenationonlineng

Demands N1b compensation for deceased’s family

A lawyer, Mr Bunmi Odeniyi has asked the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN) to prosecute the Managing Directors of Airtel Networks Limited, Carville Integrated Ventures Limited and other culpable individuals for the wrongful and painful death of Mr. Feranmi Nuremi Oluwatoba in the 2024 Airtel substation explosion.

Late Oluwatoba was the third to die out of the five victims of the Airtel substation explosion which occurred last year at Abaranje in Ikotun area of Lagos.

The petition is titled “The Wrongful and Painful Death Of Mr. Feranmi Nuremi Oluwatoba From Severe Injuries infected from culpable negligence And Reckless activities at Airtel Networks Limited BTS LAG 767A on Tuesday, 19th March, 2024…. Application For Prosecution In The Interest Of Justice”

The lawyer said their prosecution have become inevitable to serve as deterrent to others.

In the petition dated September 10, 2025, Odeniyi stated that Oluwatoba was among the victims of the reckless and negligence fiery explosion at Airtel Networks Limited Base Transceiver Station (BTS LAG 767A) situate at No. 15/19, Abiodun Ibidapo Street, Asalu bus-stop, Abaranje, Ikotun, Lagos State on March 19, 2024.

According to him, the deceased was one of the many persons set ablaze from the explosion emanating from the Airtel Networks Limited facility.

He said the fiery explosion was established by none other than the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC) that discovered there way gross and reckless negligence resulting into the explosion and the severe burn on several passers-b y including the deceased.

He said the agency’s investigations also revealed that the diesel tank on site was leaky and a purported site engineer negligently chose to weld the leaky tank which had diesel fuel inside in preparation for receipt of another consignment of diesel.

He made reference to he report of the Lagos State Safety Commission dated April 12, 2024 titled a “Preliminary Investigation Report of Fatal Fire Accident at a BTS Site at Abiodun Ibidapo Street, Abaranje-lkotun, Lagos on March 19, 2024.

The lawyer said neither Airtel nor Carville did anything meaningful to help, assist or save these victims but rather relied on a procured and suspicious report from the Ikotun Divisional Station that was addressed to no one to claim that the victims were area boys.

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“Instead of expressing regret and remorse, accepting liability and making amends for the injuries and death caused by their joint actions, both the Airtel and Carville quickly went on the offensive, falsely labelling the deceased and other victims of the incident as “Area Boys” who were extorting money from one of their diesel suppliers at the time of the gory incident. What can be more absurd than this”

“Even if this ridiculous campaign of calumny were true, and we certainly deny the defamatory accusations, does that exonerate the culpability by both Airtel and Carville? Have both companies been deputised by Lagos State Government deal with “Area Boys” by setting them on fire? Is it now permitted for Area Boys” to be doused with diesel and set ablaze in Lagos State?

Are “Area Boy.” not under the protection of our Constitution and various laws made by the Lagos State House of Assembly? Are these “Area Boys” responsible for the reckless and negligent welding of a diesel tank with products still inside it? Are the “Area Boys” responsible for the installation of a BTS in a densely populated residential area contrary to extant regulations and guidelines?

“Out of the five (5) victims who were severely and horribly burnt. two lives have been lost, irretrievably lost due to neglect, abandonment and callousness. Is it until the remaining three (3) victims also perish before the Government will get justice done? “, he asked.

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Odeniyi therefore demanded that both Managing Directors of Airtel Networks Limited and Carville Integrated Ventures Limited as well as other culpable individuals, be jointly charged and prosecuted accordingly for the wrongful and painful death of Oluwatobi.

He said their prosecution has become necessary to serve “as a deterrence and promote better social practices and effective risk management in the telecommunications sector.

“There are roughly 6 (Six) thousand BTS station across Lagos State and there must be sanity and regard for safety practices in the management of same. A standard safety template must be put in place and strictly monitored/enforced. Impunity must be stamped out of this sector.

“It will also be a clear illustration that all lives matter in Lagos State in line with your administration’s strong commitment to the Rule of Law.

“The right to life is sacrosanct and no one should be unlawfully deprived of his life in Lagos State and elsewhere without dire consequences.

“The family of our clients will also have some respite that justice has been done and that their son’s needless and wrongful death will not be in vain. We count on your good offices to ensure that justice is done”, he said.

Demand for N1billion compensation

Odeniyi also in different letters dated September 10, 2025 addressed to the Managing Director/CEO Carville Integrated Ventures Limited and the Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Networks Limited has demanded N1 billion from each of the companies as compensation to the family of Oluwatoba.

The letters stated in part: “Our earlier Letter of Demand dated 10th May, 2024 for medical intervention on behalf of and to save these young men went unheeded as well as the physical meeting of 24th April, 2024 we had at Ijegun with the family members of the victims but it has becn business as usual for you.

“It is with a heavy heart that we notify you of the painful death of Mr. Feranmi Nureni Oluwatoba whom you ignored in his hour of necd.

“It is instructive that the deceased never recovered from the severe burns till he succumbed to the injuries on Thursday, the 28th day of August. 2025.

“Your inaction has thus fulfilled its course recklessly, negligently but violently cutting short of a promising young man’s life and plunging his family into heavy sorrow. Could he have survived if meaningful and quality help had come on time? The only truth left is that despite being notified of these victims’ dire situations, you abandoned the victims of the egregious negligence that caused the explosion which finally claimed the life of the promising young man and which threw his family into

serious trauma, distress, pain and suffering shock deprivation and anguish.

You callously stood by and allowed Mr. Feranmi Nureni Oluwatoba to perish from his injuries from your facility of 19th March, 2024 without any attempt to secure prompt and adequate medical support.

“We hereby demand a full compensation of N1,000,000,000 (Onc Billion Naira) to assuage and serve as compensation to the family for their incalculable loss, trauma, discomfort. anxiety. deprivation. anguish, distress, pain and suffering arising from the prolonged painful and horrible death of their son, brother, cousin and uncle.

Take notice that if this compensation of N1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira) is not received by this law firm on behalf of the family within 7 (seven) days of the acknowledged receipt of this Letter of Demand, there will be no further recourse as we shall perfect the remainder of our brief to remedy the wrong you have done to the deceased as well as the family of the deceased.”