Lagos seals Chinese firm over worker’s death

•Police nab man for N2bn fraud

Lagos State government has sealed a Chinese firm, Mingy Trading Company Limited, located at No 11, Ila Orangun Street, Ijegun-Egba, Satellite Town.

The action followed a visit by the Lagos State Safety Commission as a result of reported death of one Babatunde AbdulRahmon, a 17-year-old, on his resumption day.

Director General of the commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, said the sealing of the firm was an affirmation of the state’s commitment to safety of life and property.

He disclosed that the fatality occurred due to violation of safety precautionary measures because the firm exposed the victim to mechanical and electrical manufacturing equipment without training and provision for personal protective equipment.

According to him, the victim lost his life in the process of operating the equipment. Apart from that, he said there was also very clear evidence of poor housekeeping, lack of safety signage, poor factory layout for emergency management, very poor recruitment process with no documented training records, poorly installed electric cables and poor record keeping.

Majola stressed that on no account should any company employ an underage to operate a mixer or grinding machine without proper training and use of personal protective equipment.

He reiterated the importance of having a tested electrical wiring system, appropriate safety signages, good housekeeping and a clean environment devoid of infractions and hazards to the lives of its workers.

He implored organisations to value lives above monetary gains, adopt best practices, and a culture of safety should first be individual and collective responsibility.

He declared zero-tolerance to safety violations and warned that punitive measures will be taken against organisations found culpable with assurance that extant safety laws would be applied.

Mojola also urged members of the public to report incidents of infractions to the commission in order to have a safer Lagos for the citizenry.

Speaking on the incident, the manager of the company, Mr. Uchenna Umeanna, said the incident happened when a staff mistakenly put on a generator when the victim was still in the mixing machine. He stressed that he sustained severe injuries in his body and later died in the hospital.

MEANWHILE, detectives at Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, have arrested the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Brisk Capital Limited, Dominic Joshua, for alleged diversion of over N2 billion investors’ funds.

Joshua, 21, was arrested by the anti-fraud detectives following petitions from some of the investors he allegedly scammed in cash and crypto currency trading.

The technology company boss allegedly promised investors 60 per cent Return on Investments (ROI) in real estate, forex, oil and gas.

Detectives alleged that the Ebonyi-born businessman got his clients from social media and newspaper posts.

Commissioner of Police in charge of SFU, Anderson Bankole, said the suspect allegedly diverted funds belonging to over 500 investors.

Bankole, in a statement, further alleged that the funds were diverted to sponsor extravagant lifestyle, parties, exotic cars, luxury watches and real estates in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

“Some of the properties/items purchased with the diverted funds have been recovered as exhibits, while the suspect will be charged to court as soon as the strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) is called off,” Bankole said.