Seven people including two housewives, on Thursday, suffocated to death at a hairdresser’s salon in Rijau town in the Rijau Local Government ASrea of Niger State.

The deceased were said to have gone to the salon to dress their hair in readiness for the Eid-el Kabir festival.

According to eyewitnesses, while the women were waiting for their turn, rain suddenly started and became so intense that the generator used to power the equipment had to be moved into the salon.

It was further gathered that despite moving the generator inside, the rain continued to disturb the hair dresser and her customers resulting in the door to the salon being closed.

Findings showed that the generator worked for several hours until it ran out of fuel.

According to reports, relations of the hair dresser and her customers mounted a search for them when they did not return home after a very long time.

One of the relations was reported to have suggested that the door to the salon should be forced opened to find out whether it was there they went to dress their hair.

The eyewitness said on opening the door of the salon, the lifeless bodies of the women were found on the ground though two of them were still breathing.

A top official of the Rijau local government council who was invited to the scene refused to give directive that the two women who were unconscious should be taken to the hospital unless the Council Chairman came to see things for himself.

However good Samaritans and a top traditional ruler in the town ignored the order of the local government official and started rushing the unconscious women to the Tunga- Magajiya hospital but the duo died before they could receive medical attention.

The remains of the deceased were later released to their relations for burial according to Muslim rites.

Niger state Police Command Public Relations Officer ASP Wasiu Abioun when contacted confirmed the incident but did not give details.

Abiodun said investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of the women had commenced.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.