Just two months after the Ogun State Government sealed Quantum Steel Industry in Ogijo following a previous explosion that critically injured seven employees, tragedy struck again as another worker lost his life in a separate industrial accident.
The incident happened last Monday when Abayomi, a forklift operator, was caught in a scrap grinding machine at the factory.
A casual worker at the plant, who preferred to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation, told reporters that the machine operator, a foreign national, had asked Abayomi to remove a piece of scrap metal stuck inside the machine without realizing that it was still powered on.
As Abayomi reached into the machine to clear the obstruction, the machine unexpectedly activated, causing severe injuries.
Colleagues rushed to help but unfortunately found him dead upon extraction.
The anonymous worker explained, “He was told to remove a scrap that was stuck in the grinding machine. Unaware that the machine was still running, he reached inside, and it suddenly started moving, trapping him. Others tried to save him, but it was too late.”
Attempts to obtain an official comment from the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, were unsuccessful as she did not respond to inquiries by the time of reporting.
However, a local police officer familiar with the case confirmed the incident during a private phone conversation.
Efforts to reach Quantum Steel Industry for a response also failed.
The contact listed on their website said he was not authorized to speak with the media.
This event follows a March 7 report that detailed the closure of Quantum Steel Industry and Xinfeng Plastics Limited by the Ogun State Government after separate industrial accidents.
These incidents had already resulted in one death and multiple severe injuries. Farook Akintunde, the Special Adviser to the Ogun Governor on Environmental Protection and Chairman of the State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, said the government shut down the factories to prevent further accidents.
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