Oyo State Government has directed all workers in the factory, where a University of Ibadan student died, to exit the premises. Its officials later locked all the gates and sealed off the factory.
Speaking, yesterday, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Bashir Olanrewaju, said journalists and ministry officials, numbering five, were on Thursday, held hostage by the factory management.
A report by The Guardian said that Richard Gbadebo, a 300-level student of the Department of European Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, died in an industrial accident on Monday.
The 21-year-old Richard was said to have died after he fell into the factory’s soap-making machine. The deceased student was said to be on night shift. Nylon was said to have rolled round his hand and in the process of trying to detach himself, the nylon drew him into the machine, which was said to have crushed him.
The mild drama occurred, when officials of the Department of Pollution Monitoring and Quality Control of the ministry, led by Dr. Olanrewaju, got to the factory at Oluyole Estate Extension, to seal it to pave way for investigation.
It was learnt some of the workers resisted government’s move by holding them hostage for about 30 minutes, before the State Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, intervened and got them released.
Olanrewaju said: “The intention was to talk to them, not necessarily to disgrace them, as they need to be producing under a very safe environment. It was also to investigate to know how it actually happened, with a view to preventing such in the future.
“But the management resisted our men, when we got there. We were held hostage. I was one of those held hostage. We invited the police and we were rescued, when the police came. Immediately, we called the police and they rescued us.
“We are conducting investigation. After that, we will decide the next line of action to determine their culpability, whether the accident was preventable or not preventable, whether they made some mistakes and how the mistakes could have been prevented…”
Also, Mouthpiece NGR reported that the accident occurred on Tuesday at the Oluyole factory of Henkel Nigeria Limited, producers of WAW detergent and soap.
Richard, who was on night shift, was said to have fallen into one of the machines in the factory.
According to an eyewitness, the other workers were not aware of the death of the 20 year old boy until they saw blood coming out through the other side of the machine.
“His family members were not informed by the company until an unknown number called them. So they mobilised to the company and blocked the road, about 30 police officers were called in to prevent disturbance.
“An ambulance later came and Richard’s father was allowed into the building. He later went with the body, packed in a plastic bag in the ambulance to the morgue at Teju Hospital without any of the staff of the factory,” a source told our correspondent.
The incident was also confirmed through a broadcast signed by President and Public Relations Officer of the faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.
“It’s completely disheartening to announce the death of Mr Gbadebo Richard (300-level student) from the Department of European Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.
“Your fervor to become greater in life was cut short by your sudden death. Team Evolution uses this medium to sympathise with the family of our late Afasite who was active, effective and diligent in studies. We pray that God be with the family and wipe out similar occurrence,” the statement read.
Friends and associates of the late Richard however confirmed that the deceased settled for the job as a result of the continued closure of schools by the Federal Government in a bid to flatten the curve of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
