A fatal accident occurred at Quantum Steel Industry in Ogijo, Ogun State, just two months after the factory was shut down following a previous explosion that injured seven employees.
The latest tragedy involved Abayomi, a forklift operator, who was trapped and killed by a scrap grinding machine last Monday.
According to a casual employee who spoke anonymously due to fear of repercussions, the machine operator, a foreign national, instructed Abayomi to remove a piece of scrap metal stuck inside the machine.
Unaware that the machine was still operational, Abayomi reached in to clear the blockage, causing the machine to activate and trap him.
Co-workers attempted to rescue him, but he was pronounced dead upon being pulled out.
The anonymous source explained, “He was told to clear a stuck scrap from the machine, but the operator had not switched it off. When he removed the scrap, the machine started running and trapped him. Other workers rushed to help, but he was already dead by the time he was freed.”
Efforts to get a comment from the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, went unanswered.
However, a police officer familiar with the situation confirmed the incident during a private conversation.
Attempts to contact Quantum Steel Industry for a response were unsuccessful, with the listed company representative declining to speak with the press.
This incident follows the March 7 closure of Quantum Steel Industry and Xinfeng Plastics Limited by the Ogun State Government after separate industrial accidents resulted in one death and several serious injuries.
Farook Akintunde, Special Adviser on Environmental Protection and Chairman of the State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, said the shutdown was necessary to prevent further incidents.