Lebanese-Owned Factory Machine Grinds 20-Year-Old To Death In Ikotun, Lagos

Mike Aghanenu, 20, who worked at a Lebanese-owned company, Aliberty in Ikotun, Lagos, was ground to death on Tuesday [Apr. 10] while attempting to repair the firm’s faulty machine.

The deceased, who recently scored 240 in the just concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, had been working for the company for the past two years. According to PUNCH, Mike reportedly bled to death as his right arm down to his ribs was chopped off by the machine.

According to reliable sources, around 11am, the deceased was working on the machine when he noticed that a nail had hooked it thereby preventing it from working properly. Mike was said to have attempted to remove the nail from the machine and get it working again but failed to take necessary precautions before doing so and was subsequently killed in the process.

PUNCH’s source said, “Everyone was working as usual when all of a sudden there was a scream by the supervisor, Mr. Olotu Fredrick, on noticing an obstruction in the operation, as the machine used to grind fibre was grinding Mike’s arm instead.

“Effort to save Mike failed as he was confirmed dead at Holiness Hospital where he was reportedly rushed. The hospital is not too far from the factory.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the parents of the deceased claimed the company did not intimate any of them about the tragic incident, wondering why it had to deposit their son’s corpse at the morgue without contacting the family members.

The deceased father, Festus, said, “As I speak, we have not been briefed on the exact circumstance that led to my son’s death. We heard about it on Tuesday evening and had to rush to the Isolo General Hospital mortuary where we were told his corpse had been deposited. But can you imagine that we were prevented from seeing my own son’s corpse?”

The family alleged that there was an attempt to cover up the case as they claimed they were prevented from seeing the corpse by some plain-clothes policemen.

Members of the deceased’s family gathered in front of the company on Wednesday and demanded to see the management of the company to no avail.

However, after a while, a woman, who claimed to be the company’s spokesperson, came out to attend to some journalists and the bereaved family. But when asked what transpired, she said all questions should be directed to the police.

A mini-drama immediately ensued as members of the deceased’s family threatened a showdown with the company.

The Divisional Police Officer, Ikotun, Mr. Austin Akika, arrived at the company and assured the family that the matter would be investigated.

When contacted, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr Joseph Jaiyeoba, said he was yet to get the signal of the incident.

He however stated that the police could not have prevented the bereaved family from seeing the corpse of their son, maintaining that the plain-clothes men who claimed to be policemen at the morgue could be impostors.

SOURCE - PUNCH