A 300-level student of the University of Ibadan (UI), Gbadebo Richard, has died in a factory accident at a company, Henkel and Expand global industries, producers of Waw detergent, where he worked in Ibadan.
The institution’s Union of Campus Journalist (UCJ) published the news of Gbadebo’s death on its website, www.ucjui.com.
It was reported that Gbadebo, who was a student in the Department of European Studies, Faculty of Arts, died on Tuesday, July 28.
According to the report, the death of Gbadebo was confirmed through a broadcast signed by the President and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Faculty of Arts, which read: “It is completely disheartening to announce the death of Mr Gbadebo Richard, a 300-level student from the Department of European Studies. Your fervour to become greater in life was cut short by your sudden death. Death why?”
It was gathered that the deceased took up a factory job at the detergent-making company at Oluyole area of Ibadan after schools were shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gbadebo, who was working as an operator at the industry, mistakenly slipped into the machine while working.
A friend of the deceased who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “On the day of the incident, he went to pour powder in the machine and I think the nylon got stuck there and as he was trying to pull it out, he got stuck and the machine rolled upon him.
“The other workers didn’t even know initially, but when the powder moved to the packaging department, they saw that it was mixed with blood and they had to rush to the mixing department, where they saw only his leg.”
However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Mr Oladejo Olatunji, said he was not aware of the incident.
“I can’t confirm it; students are not on campus and the Dean of Students Affairs has not even been notified, so I can’t say anything about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the institution’s Students’ Union Government (SUG), on Wednesday, protested over the death of Gbadebo in front of the company.
This was after they went to the deceased’s family house to commiserate with them, only to be told that since the incident occurred, the company had not done anything, and had been acting as if nothing happened.
Gbadebo was buried on Wednesday.
