Firm that owns factory where UI student died reacts

The company that owns the factory in which a student of the University of Ibadan died on Monday said it was working with the police to unravel the circumstances that led to his gruesome death.

Expand Global Industries Limited said the student, Gbadebo Richard, was working for a third-party company when he died. It said productions at the site was halted after the death occurred.

Gbadebo, a 300 level student of European Languages in the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, died after slipping into a soap-making machine at the factory, multiple reports said. Before his death, he was an operator with Henkel Global Industries.

“Your fervour to become greater in life was cut short by your sudden death,” Association of Faculty of Arts Students, UI, said in a statement. The student body described Gbadebo as “active, effective, and diligent”.

Expand Global Industries Limited, which owns the factory where the fatal accident occurred, said it has “stringent safety protocols” in place for all workers.

“Expand Global Industries Limited is working closely with the police and ministry of labour to ascertain the circumstances leading up to this tragic incident,” Expand Global’s spokesman Aliyu Jubril said in a statement.

“Both departments are proceeding with external investigations into this matter and we are conducting our own internal investigation into the safety protocols observed.

“We understand that there may be queries from concerned stakeholders towards this tragic incident. Please be rest assured that further information will be shared once available.”

The spokesman for Oyo State Police Command Olugbenga Fadeyi said Gbadebo’s death is already under investigation.

“As I said, investigation has commenced,” Fadeyi said. “The company had already issued a statement on the matter. The result of the investigation would be taken to the Commissioner of Police (Nwachukwu Enwonwu) as soon as the investigation is concluded.”