Gbenro Adesina
A 300 level student of the Department of European Languages (German), Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Richard Philips Gbadebo, has been killed in an industrial accident in a factory in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State on Tuesday July 28, 2020.
It was gathered that Richard, 20, got a job at Henkel Nigeria limited, Oluyole factory in Ibadan, producer of WAW detergent and soap, so as to enable him support his family.
He was said to be on night shift and had an accident with one of the machines. He fell into the machine, and the other workers did not know until they saw blood come through the machine at the other end.
However, the family of the deceased said they were not contacted by the factory. One of his sisters said they were not informed until an anonymous caller got through to them to inform them that Richard had an accident. When they got to the factory, they were denied access and nobody attended to them. When they started to cause a scene and blocked the road, the Police, about 40, was 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.
It was stated that from the time the incident happened early in the morning till around 2pm, his body was still in the machine and work was still going on in the factory.
Till the time of filing this report, no one had visited the family from the company.
One of Richard’s friends, identified as BABS Of Mushin @babs_hub on Twitter said, “The factory couldn’t respect the dead by sending at least one representative to Richard’s family. They didn’t even open the gates for Richard’s parents yesterday when they went to the factory. Students of the University of Ibadan went to his family house this morning.I can’t start describing the trauma his family and friends are going through right now. We’ve gone to the factory and they still refused to open their gates. Now they are threatening to shoot us”.
A statement signed by the President and Public Relations Officer of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan read: “It is completely disheartening to announce the death of Mr Gbadebo Richard (300level 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…DEATH WHY? Team Evolution uses this medium to sympathize 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”.
It was gathered that Richard was the only son of his parents.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1288474696565104640
